Breaking News of Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study on the Experiences and Emotional Needs of Patients With Cancer in a Multiethnic Asian Setting

2020 ◽  
pp. JOP.20.00002
Author(s):  
Li-Ping Wong ◽  
Yek-Ching Kong ◽  
Nanthini Thevi Bhoo-Pathy ◽  
Shridevi Subramaniam ◽  
Ros Suzanna Bustamam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family History ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Supportive Cancer Care ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Asian Patients

PURPOSE: The breaking of news of a cancer diagnosis is an important milestone in a patient’s cancer journey. We explored the emotional experiences of patients with cancer during the breaking of news of a cancer diagnosis and the arising needs in a multiethnic Asian setting with limited supportive cancer care services. METHODS: Twenty focus group discussions were conducted with 102 Asian patients with cancer from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds. Thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS: While most participants, especially younger patients with young children, experienced intense emotional distress upon receiving a cancer diagnosis, those with a family history of cancer were relatively calm and resigned. Nonetheless, the prior negative experience with cancer in the family made affected participants with a family history less eager to seek cancer treatment and less hopeful for a cure. Although a majority viewed the presence of family members during the breaking of bad news as important, a minority opted to face it alone to lessen the emotional impact on their family members. Difficulties disclosing the news of a cancer diagnosis to loved ones also emerged as an important need. Sensitive and empathetic patient-physician communication during the breaking of news of a cancer diagnosis was stressed as paramount. CONCLUSION: A patient-centered communication approach needs to be developed to reduce the emotional distress to patients and their families after the breaking of bad news of a cancer diagnosis. This is expected to positively affect the patients’ subsequent coping skills and attitudes toward cancer, which may improve adherence to cancer therapy.

Whether, when, and who to disclose bad news to patients with cancer: a survey in 150 pairs of hospitalized patients with cancer and family members in China

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 778-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Li ◽  
Xiang Lin Yuan ◽  
Xian Hua Gao ◽  
Xiao Mei Yang ◽  
Peng Jing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family Members ◽  
Hospitalized Patients ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Patients With Cancer

scholarly journals Breaking Bad News in Ethnic Settings: Perspectives of Patients and Families in Northern Sri Lanka

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrishanthi Rajasooriyar ◽  
Jenny Kelly ◽  
Thanikai Sivakumar ◽  
Gowcikan Navanesan ◽  
Shahini Nadarasa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Breaking Bad News ◽  
Breaking Bad ◽  
Diagnosis And Prognosis ◽  
Disclosure Of Diagnosis

Purpose The discussion of a cancer diagnosis and prognosis often is difficult. This study explored the expectations of Tamil-speaking patients with cancer and their families with respect to receiving their cancer diagnosis in northern Sri Lanka. Methods This exploratory, descriptive, qualitative study used semistructured interviews. Results Thematic analysis identified two major themes: communication and information seeking. The findings illustrate a discrepancy between patient preference for direct disclosure of the diagnosis and that of families. Ninety-five percent of patients wanted medical staff to disclose their cancer diagnosis, whereas only 45% of family members believed that the diagnosis should be disclosed to the patient rather than to the family. Conclusion Although patients and their family members’ views and expectations of the disclosure of diagnosis and prognosis differ, a majority of patients want to be told directly about their diagnosis rather than to learn of it from a relative. The findings are similar to the literature on other ethnic groups from Sri Lanka and studies from English-speaking developed countries. Therefore, the main questions are how to educate families and physicians about the benefits of open disclosure to patients and how to change culture. Results of this study along with a previous study call for the development of strategies and guidelines to improve societal views, educate patients and families, and train health professionals in the area of breaking bad news and discussing prognosis in the Sri Lankan setting.

scholarly journals Breaking Bad News: Patient Preferences and the Role of Family Members when Delivering a Cancer Diagnosis

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1779-1784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abha Rao ◽  
Bhuvana Sunil ◽  
Maria Ekstrand ◽  
Elsa Heylen ◽  
Girish Raju ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Patient Preferences ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Breaking Bad News ◽  
Breaking Bad

MULTIPLE ENDOCRINE NEOPLASIA IN PRACTICE OF PRIMARY CARE AND FAMILY PHYISICIANS

2020 ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
V. I Pozhar ◽  
O. V. Doroshenko ◽  
M. I. Shevchuk
Keyword(s):  
Family History ◽  
Genetic Analysis ◽  
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Neurofibromatosis Type ◽  
Endocrine Tumors ◽  
Endocrine Neoplasia ◽  
Cutaneous Lichen Amyloidosis

Multiple endocrine neoplasia is characterized with a predisposition to tumors involving two or more endocrine glands. The four main forms of the disease are inherited as an autosomal dominant syndrome or may occur sporadically. In addition to these four forms, six other syndromes are associated with the presence of multiple endocrine and other neoplasms of the organs: hyperparathyroidism − jaw tumors, Carney complex, von Hippel−Lindau disease, neurofibromatosis type 1, Cowden syndrome and McCune − Albright syndrome. The diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome can be established in humans by one of the three available criteria: clinical features, family history, genetic analysis. Mutation analysis during these syndromes is useful in clinical practice to confirm the clinical diagnosis; identifying family members who tolerate the mutation and need to be screened, and identifying family members who do not tolerate the mutation. Syndrome of multiple endocrine neoplasia (Wermer syndrome) is characterized by the presence of a triad of tumors, including tumors of the parathyroid glands, pheochromocytoma and tumors of the parathyroid gland. It occurs less frequently in combination with Hirschsprung's disease, caused by the absence of vegetative ganglion cells in the intestine terminal parts, that leads to colonic enlargement, severe constipation and obstruction. This syndrome may be associated with cutaneous lichen amyloidosis, the clinical manifestations of which are pruritus and lichenoid lesions, usually located in the upper back. A clinical case of MEN2 syndrome in a 52−year−old patient is presented. It is noted that for such patients, in addition to timely syndromic rather than component diagnosis of this endocrine multipathology, the spread of neoplastic process in medullary thyroid cancer to its capsule and surrounding tissues, as well as the presence of metastases in peripheral lymph nodes are important. As a rule, such patients cannot be timely cured. Key words: multiple endocrine neoplasia, endocrine tumors, genetic analysis, family history.

Viewing and Emotional Conflict in Akhilleus Tatios

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel King
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Emotional Conflict ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Gender Hierarchies

Akhilleus Tatios’ novel, Leukippe and Kleitophon, is famously obsessed with the formulations of viewing and the gaze. This has traditionally been seen as reinforcing some of the gender hierarchies of the narrative as a whole. Building on the work of Morales (and others), this chapter argues that Akhilleus Tatios constructs a conflicted gaze in which the emotional impact of viewing trauma is caught between the viewer’s pleasure at the image and the emotional distress that it might also induce. Akhilleus Tatios’ narrative constantly questions and problematizes how viewers position themselves in relation to trauma and, in so doing, helps to problematize a range of different reactions to others’ pain.

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