Ethical Issues in Cancer Patients

Author(s):  
Robert D. Orr
2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tosin Ajala ◽  
Junaid Rafi ◽  
Peter Larsen-Disney ◽  
Richard Howell

Infertility can arise as a consequence of treatment of oncological conditions. The parallel and continued improvement in both the management of oncology and fertility cases in recent times has brought to the fore-front the potential for fertility preservation in patients being treated for cancer. Oncologists must be aware of situations where their treatment will affect fertility in patients who are being treated for cancer and they must also be aware of the pathways available for procedures such as cryopreservation of gametes and/or embryos. Improved cancer care associated with increased cure rates and long term survival, coupled with advances in fertility treatment means that it is now imperative that fertility preservation is considered as part of the care offered to these patients. This can only be approached within a multidisciplinary setting. There are obvious challenges that still remain to be resolved, especially in the area of fertility preservation in prepubertal patients. These include ethical issues, such as valid consent and research in the area of tissue retrieval, cryopreservation, and transplantation.


1992 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 821-833
Author(s):  
David H. Smith ◽  
Kathleen McCarty

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 346-352
Author(s):  
Jerop Caren ◽  
George Mose ◽  
Kibiwott Kurgat

Communication influences patient disclosure, treatment adherence, and outcome, adaptation to illness, and bereavement. Different cancer patients and caregivers communicate their various experiences in unique ways. These distinctive experiences are necessary to be told, because it empowers both the teller and everyone who hears and shares that experience. However, there is little research documenting the experiences of cervical cancer patients and caregivers in Kenya and the rest of Africa. This study therefore sought to assess the communication experience among cervical cancer patients and their caregivers. This study was a qualitative study employing the phenomenological method to obtain data from cervical patients and caregivers. It was carried out in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, where a range of in-depth interviews were held with eight patients and eight caregivers purposively sampled. Data from the interviews were analysed thematically and presented in narrative form using paraphrases and quotations. Ethical issues such as informed consent, confidentiality and official authorisation were observed at all levels. To enrich this study, hermeneutic theory, which explains more about the individual's experience, was used. The findings of the study indicated that communication is therapeutic, although most of the patients and the caregivers were reluctant to talk about their illness. The findings of this study will be of interest to scholars, policy-makers and caregivers of terminally ill patients.


Herz ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 626-631
Author(s):  
L. H. Lehmann ◽  
M. Totzeck

Abstract Oncocardiology is an emerging field in cardiovascular healthcare. Besides establishing surveillance and follow-up strategies for cancer patients, it will be essential to set up specialized oncocardiology services. However, there is a lack of clinical studies to give evidence-based recommendations regarding cardiological diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cancer patients. An oncocardiology service is a patient-centered structure that aims to integrate research and interdisciplinary patient care to bridge this gap. We discuss the current challenges in developing an oncocardiology service and review the literature on this topic. We further provide an overview of the essential diagnostic tools and upcoming ethical issues to be considered in the management of oncology patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
EV Vvedenskaya ◽  
NV Lepkova ◽  
AV Egorova

The article talks about the ethical dilemmas of diagnostic and prognostic disclosure in oncology. Below, we discuss the principles of diagnostic and prognostic disclosure to curable and terminally ill patients proposed by Soviet medical deontology. Despite its evolution, the principle of benevolent deception applied to incurable patients in the USSR still persists into the present. The article discusses the cons and pros of withholding the diagnosis from terminally ill patients and the Russian legislation on the patient’s rights. The article places a special focus on the strategy of disclosing an unfavorable diagnosis to a cancer patient adopted in Russian oncology.


2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 410-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Schenck

Background The second half of the 20th century saw not only important developments in medical science and technology, but also a rapid growth in the application of biomedical ethics in medical decision making. Withdrawal of treatment, allowing to die, informed consent, and patient autonomy are concerns that now comprise a part of the overall medical treatment, particularly in patients with head and neck cancers. Methods The author discusses ethical issues relating to disfigurement/dysfunction in head and neck cancer patients and examines the aspects of “principlism” — autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. Two case reports are presented to illustrate the ethical challenges that may confront physicians who treat head and neck cancer patients. Results Head and neck oncology generates unique problems relating to disfigurement and dysfunction. An algorithm that considers the patient's medical good and greater good, as well as the goods of others, can assist in arriving at appropriate ethical decisions. Conclusions Bioethical decision making requires the integration of virtues with principles, followed by the application of these standards to each patient.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document