Acupuncture in Cancer Care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Current Clinical Oncology - Integrative Oncology ◽

10.1007/978-1-59745-183-3_12 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 181-199 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Weidong Lu ◽

Elizabeth Dean-Clower ◽

Anne Doherty-Gilman ◽

David S. Rosenthal

Keyword(s):

Cancer Care ◽

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

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The use of the word “cure” in oncology.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.30.15_suppl.6067 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 6067-6067

Author(s):

Kenneth David Miller ◽

Joseph Abraham ◽

Brijen L Joshi

Keyword(s):

Cancer Care ◽

Cell Lymphoma ◽

Large Cell ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Dana Farber Cancer Institute ◽

Males And Females ◽

Practice Methods ◽

Question Survey ◽

Positive Breast Cancer

6067 Background: Use of the word “cure” in cancer care reflects a balance of physician and patient optimism, realism, medico-legal concerns, and even superstition. The purpose of this study was to survey a group of clinicians regarding the frequency and determinants of using the word “cure” in their practice. Methods: In 2011, 180 oncology clinicians at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute were invited to complete a survey regarding the word “cure” in cancer care. Participants completed a 19 question survey regarding how commonly their patients are cured, how often they use the word cure, in what circumstances they would tell a patient that they are cured, the timing of telling a patient that they are cured, and hesitancy in using the word cure. Three patient case scenarios were presented to elicit participants’ views regarding whether patients were cured and whether they need continued follow-up. Results: The 117 participants who provided answers to the cure questions (65% of the original 180 invitees), were evenly divided between males and females,73% were medical doctors, and 56% had 10 or more years of experience since their training. Eighty-one percent of respondents were hesitant to tell a patient that they are cured and 63% would never tell a patient that they are cured. Only 7% feel that greater than 75% of their patients are, or will be, cured. This varied significantly by subspecialty (p<0.001). The participating clinicians reported that only 34% (sd: 30%) of patients ask if they are cured. In considering 20-year survivors of seminoma, large cell lymphoma, and estrogen positive breast cancer, 81%, 73%, and 47% of clinicians, respectively, believed that the patients were cured and 33%, 38%, and 52% recommended annual oncology follow-up of the patients. Twenty-three percent of clinicians believed that patients should never be discharged from the cancer center. Conclusions: Oncologists report that patients are hesitant to ask whether they are cured, and the clinicians are hesitant to tell, although this varied by cancer subspecialty. Annual oncology follow-up was frequently endorsed, even after 20 years in remission.

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