THE ISSUE OF CANCER NOTIFICATION AND THE RIGHTS OF CANCER SUFFERERS

Notifying the patient of the presence of cancer

I believe that no one could bear the blow of being informed that he or she is suffering from a fatal disease. When facing an illness as grave cancer, the patient’s spiritual will must be strong in order to overcome the disease. However, sometimes, a person’s spiritual power collapses totally when the presence of the disease is announced. Therefore, in recent medical codes of conduct all over the world, care must be taken in notifying patients of a diagnosis of carcinomatosis.

No matter whether in eastern or western medical settings, a physician or researcher would offer the most effective available to their patients. Extrinsic treatment and intrinsic reliance combined allow the patient and physician to fight the cancer as a team. If a patient believes that health may be restored but is in fact facing death, or if the patient refuses to admit the fact that he or she has cancer, telling lies can never establish the trust that is essential to a good doctor-patient relationship.

A patient may ask "is it really carcinomatosis?" He or she is in doubt. No one informed the patient that he or she is facing death. Not to tell the patient the truth would deprive him or her of free will before death.