title: Pros and cons of prognostic disclosure to Japanese cancer patients and their families from the family's point of view.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary goals of this analysis were to explore the pros and cons of prognostic disclosure to patients and their families from the bereaved family's point of view.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semistructured interviews were conducted with 60 bereaved family members of patients with cancer in Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were eight categories of influence related to the disclosure of prognosis to the family, including pros (e.g., "Enabling mental preparedness for the patient's death") and cons (e.g., "Being distressed by acknowledging the patient's prognosis"); and seven categories of influence of not disclosing the prognosis to family, including pros (e.g., "Being able to maintain hope") and cons (e.g., "Being prevented from providing adequate care for the patient"). There were also nine categories of influence related to the disclosure of prognosis to patients (e.g., "Enabling various discussions regarding death with the patient"), and eight categories of influence related to not disclosing the prognosis to patients (e.g., "Maintaining the patient's hope").
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although prognostic disclosure to family members can contribute to psychological distress and hopelessness, at the same time, it has the potential to prepare them for the future both emotionally and practically, and also to make the time until the patient's death as meaningful as possible. It is useful for physicians to introduce pros and cons of prognostic disclosure to family members at the time of decision making, to understand the family members' psychological state, and to provide support considering pros and cons whether or not they disclosed prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer control and Information Services, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan. saryoshi@ncc.go.jp
authors.forename: Saran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiozaki
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanjo
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuneto
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shima
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D030881:Disclosure; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011379:Prognosis; D036301:Qualitative Research