When is the right time to tell a person that he has cancer?

Question

if you know that a person would lose hope and wouldn't think of getting better once he knows the truth that he has cancer, you would think of keeping the truth at least for a time. but sooner or later, the person would know... so the question is, when's the perfect timing to tell him about it? is it ok to wait until he gets better physically so that there is good news amid bad news?

Answer 1

It depends on the situation. My grandma has cancer, and they can't give her chemo because it will kill her. So eventually the cancer will kill her if something else doesn't do it first. So she has been given 5 years to live, and no one has told her that. If she knew that, she would give up right now and probably die w/in a year.

If the person has a chance to fight, they are better off knowing right away, the sooner they start fighting, the faster they will get better.

Answer 2

Any patient over the age of 18 is considered a legal adult and in the US a doctor is required ethically to speak only to the patient about their health. Which country are you in, how old is the patient, and what is the reason for withholding this important information? Cancer is not a death sentence and can be treated . . but it requires the cooperation of the patient. It is not even recommended to keep this type of information from young children . . so I cannot imagine what the situation could be where the doctor did not tell the patient.

There is no good time when to tell a patient they have cancer, but they should be the first one to know so they can make decisions regarding their own health.

My sons pediatric oncology team told him he had an aggressive abdominal sarcoma and exactly what the situation was . . he has always been told the truth. Even though the news is rotten, at least it is real, so you can deal with real fears and concerns immediately and honestly.

Answer 3

18 months ago, when I learned that I had only 6 months to live, unless there was a miracle happened, my whole world fell apart. It took me about 3 weeks to overcome that depressed period. Since then I always debate with myself whether the doctors should tell their patients the facts.

My answer is yes, and the sooner the better. If I did not know how serious condition I was in, I would not seek alternative treatment other than what the doctors suggested, and I would have died as they predicted.

Of course, the draw back is if a patient has less strong mind and can not adjust his mental condition accordingly, he may just collapse when hearing the news. In my case, if I did not overcome the depressed period, I would have died before the 6 months time frame given by the doctor. Please visit my blog that documents my experience of diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. I also have some discussions about how to handle the situations with older cancer patients.
http://360.yahoo.com/taichang48

Answer 4

There is never a good time to tell someone they have cancer, but I would think this person already knows. The body has a way of knowing that it's sick so I am sure they have already guessed. The trick is making them want to live and fight, you will have to be very strong and supportive. It won't be easy on you but you will be the better for it. Tell them right away it's not fair to hold something like this from anyone.

14 year cancer survivor!!!! There is always hope in God

Answer 5

28 years ago when my mother was diagnosed with cancer her doctors took the decision not to tell her, apparently thinking she wouldn't be able to cope with the diagnosis. They did not have much difficulty persuading my father, as he thought doctors knew best. She was 53.

Almost four years later she found out when a new doctor, assuming she knew, used the word cancer.

She was furious that she had been lied to, and denied the opportunity to make decisions about her own life. She died 6 months later.

Doctors were able to take that kind of decision then; they are not now, at least not in the UK.

I was diagnosed with cancer almost four years ago. From the start I have wanted to know everything there was to know about my own cancer, even though some details of my prognosis were hard to hear. The very idea of anyone keeping knowledge from me is outrageous.

It would be demeaning, patronising and disrespectful to hide from someone the fact that they had cancer, supposing that you knew and they didn't, which is unlikely.

Answer 6

No i don't. I ask approximately their sort of maximum cancers and what scientific care direction they're dealing with and ask what i will do to help. I do tell them approximately maximum cancers survivors that i understand and attempt to grant them encouragement. Staying effective is a large conflict while confronted with maximum cancers and giving up wish will assure dropping the conflict with maximum cancers. I even have additionally observed as on human beings i understand who survived a undeniable sort of maximum cancers and asked them in the event that they might bypass to somebody with a similar sort of maximum cancers to help enhance their ethical. The words of encouragement and "i understand what you're dealing with" statements carry lots extra weight while the guy saying them has actually been in those particular footwear. i don't think of telling somebody approximately people who lost the conflict is mentally healthful for the only nonetheless combating the ailment.

Answer 7

It would depend on the age of the person. I am a cancer survivor and found the cancer myself. If it was a very young child I would be very positive and explain that they have a sickness and the medicine they need to take may make them feel worse before they start feeling better.

Answer 8

The second you know and have time to tell them (or have someone else do it for you) in the most acceptable way u can. Nobody likes to be lied too at any time in life! Never second guess what another person may want to do. A lot of it depends on how loving, encouraging , supportive or accepting people he loves or cares about are with him.

Answer 9

This person has a right to know right away. It is unusual that other people would know before he would. In the United States (where are you from?) it would be the person suffering from this that would be told. Their body is giving them signs of what is going on. How can you support each other openly if secrets are being kept?

Answer 10

there have been some recent studies saying that all of that talk about thinking positive had no effect on survival time. I think a person has a right to know and the MD should tell him and him only. Then he also has the right to keep it private according to HIPPA, the health information privacy...act.