RT Book, Section
A1 Baile, Walter
A1 Dominici, Laura
A2 Kuerer, Henry M.
SR Print(0)
ID 6408089
T1 Chapter 14. Communicating a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
T2 Kuerer's Breast Surgical Oncology
YR 2010
FD 2010
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-160178-8
LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=6408089
RD 2024/04/23
AB The  delivery  of  a  diagnosis  of  breast  cancer  to  a  patient  elicits  a  strong  emotional  response  from  the  patient,  and  similarly,  evokes  an  emotional  response  from  the  surgeon  as  well.  The  ability  to  deliver  bad  news  in  a  way  that  helps  improve  communication  and  strengthen  the  patient–doctor  relationship  is  a  skill  not  often  taught,  although  it  is  frequently  required.  Most  studies  have  examined  oncologists,  and  one  found  that  60%  broke  bad  news  to  patients  from  5  to  20  times  per  month.  Fourteen  percent  delivered  bad  news  more  than  20  times  a  month.  Less  than  10%  of  those  surveyed  had  any  formal  training  in  breaking  bad  news,  and  only  32%  had  any  shadowing  experience  in  watching  others  deliver  diagnoses.1  An  American  Society  of  Clinical  Oncology  survey  revealed  that  most  participants  cited  "traumatic  experience"  as  the  most  common  source  of  learning  communication  on  difficult  topics.2