Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Palliative Medicine
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Friedrichsen, M. J
Right arrow Articles by Carlsson, M. E
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Friedrichsen, M. J
Right arrow Articles by Carlsson, M. E
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Cancer patients' interpretations of verbal expressions when given information about ending cancer treatment

Maria J Friedrichsen

Palliative Research Unit, Linköping University, 601 82 Norrköping

Peter M Strang

Oncologist, Karolinska Institutet, FOUU, Stockholms Sjukhem, 112 35 Stockholm

Maria E Carlsson

Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Section of Caring Sciences, Döbelnsgatan 2, 752 37 Uppsala

Background: Cancer patients’ interpretations of the meaning of words used when given bad news are not well studied in medical settings. The aim of this study was to ascertain what significance verbal expressions had for cancer patients when they were given information about ending active tumour treatment, and what message they felt they received.

Methods: Tape-recorded semi-structured interviews were performed and analysed using a qualitative phenomenographical approach.

Results: Thirty patients with incurable cancer admitted to hospital-based home care unit in Sweden participated. Three main categories about the significance of words emerged: 1) words could indicate indirect warnings as being forewarnings, evasive or ambiguous; 2) words could also be perceived as emotionally trying, as threats or abandoning; 3) other words were fortifying and strengthened the patient in this situation. The overall message given during the information could be interpreted differently: either focused on treatment, on quality of life, or on threat and death. Conclusion: The understanding of the significance of words to tailor the information to patients helps the physician to use forewarnings and fortifying words and to identify and avoid the use of threatening words.

Key Words: communication • neoplasms • palliative care • patient perception • phenomenography

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 16, No. 4, 323-330 (2002)
DOI: 10.1191/0269216302pm543oa
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Palliat MedHome page
S Innes and S Payne
Advanced cancer patients' prognostic information preferences: a review
Palliative Medicine, January 1, 2009; 23(1): 29 - 39.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Intern MedHome page
D. S. Morse, E. A. Edwardsen, and H. S. Gordon
Missed Opportunities for Interval Empathy in Lung Cancer Communication
Arch Intern Med, September 22, 2008; 168(17): 1853 - 1858.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann OncolHome page
T. Morita, T. Akechi, M. Ikenaga, Y. Kizawa, H. Kohara, T. Mukaiyama, T. Nakaho, N. Nakashima, Y. Shima, T. Matsubara, et al.
Communication about the ending of anticancer treatment and transition to palliative care
Ann. Onc., October 1, 2004; 15(10): 1551 - 1557.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]