Communicating Bad News In Oncology: The Medical Oncologist'S Perspective

Nowadays cancer has become one of the most common diseases, due to its high incidence and mortality. Because this diagnosis has a major impact on the patient's psychological perception and quality of life, the Medical Oncologist should develop an individual approach to every patient. From our clinical experience, in collaboration with our psychologist, we have sum up some of the most important objectives, which the doctor should follow in order to improve the communication skills. First of all, we have to be aware of the sequences of the adaptation process towards the diagnosis of cancer, which are merely common for most of the patients. Secondly, we have to improve our communication skills by respecting some principles such as: the proper timing and place (each with particularities) and our personal communication criteria. The efficacy of the doctor's communication skills is reflected in the maintenance of a good patient-doctor relation, reflected also by the trust and the continuous addressability of the patient and the therapy compliance. The aim of this paper is to enlighten and optimize the communication of bad news in the Oncology field.