Good communication with your family and the health care team has a positive effect on your cancer journey.
The goals of good communication in cancer care are to:
You will face many decisions when you are diagnosed with cancer. Tell your health care team about concerns you have during treatment, and if you have problems coping with the cancer diagnosis.
Studies show that there are many positive results when people with cancer and their doctors communicate well during cancer care. Positive results include:
Ask for help from a patient navigator. A patient navigator can guide you through the health care system and help you communicate with your health care team, so you get the information you need to make decisions about your care.
You will go through different emotions when you have cancer. You may want to hide feelings of distress and sadness and act normal to protect your family and friends. This is also often true for friends and family. Talking about cancer-related issues may help reduce stress for you and your family. Family-focused psychotherapy may also benefit you and your family.
You may want written instructions and phone calls, or you may prefer texts and emails. Let your health care team know how you want to receive your information about your cancer and cancer treatment.
It may be hard to remember what your doctor said and what you want to ask at each appointment. Make a list of the questions you want to ask before your visit. The following suggestions may help you remember what was said:
Ask if your doctor or clinic offers any of the following:
Some cultures place a greater emphasis on communication with the family as a whole unit, while other cultures focus more on the patient's ability to make their own decisions. Tell your health care team how much information you want to receive.
Your religious beliefs may be a source of strength and coping for you. Tell your health care team about any spiritual and religious needs and concerns you want them to know about. For more information, see Spirituality in Cancer Care.
When your child has cancer, you will likely have questions about how serious the cancer is and your child's chances of survival. The likely outcome or course of a disease is called prognosis. Ask your child's cancer care team about your child's prognosis. Knowing this information can help you and your loved ones make decisions. No two people are alike, and responses to treatment can vary greatly. Your child's cancer care team is in the best position to talk with you about your child's prognosis.
The amount of information a child may want to know depends in part on their age. Most children worry about how their illness and treatment will affect their daily lives and the people around them. Studies also show that children have less doubt and fear when they are given information they can understand about their illness, even if it is bad news.
When a parent has cancer, the child may have high levels of distress. Children may also experience anxiety and distress when they see a sibling going through cancer therapy or dying. Children do better when family members or the health care team talk with them about what to expect and answer their questions. For ways to help teens cope and communicate when a loved one has cancer, see Support for Teens When a Family Member Has Cancer.
A method to get health information that is used frequently in medicine is eHealth. eHealth refers to the use of digital technology, such as home computers, smart phones, and the Internet to find and send health information. eHealth helps:
When you learn you have terminal cancer, you're faced with decisions that will affect your end-of-life care. Talk about these decisions early to make it easier on you and your family later. The following are some questions to consider:
When you and your family decide it is time to move from active treatment to end-of-life care, your goals and desires are important. It may be difficult to start the discussion about end-of-life care with your doctor, but it is important to make these decisions early in your cancer journey.
Many people with terminal cancer who start talking with their doctors early about end-of-life issues report feeling better prepared. Early communication with your doctors may make it easier to deal with concerns about being older, living alone, symptom control, spiritual well-being, and how your family will cope in the future.
Ask your doctor or clinic about an end-of-life consultation, which includes a list of questions that can help you explain your wishes for the end of life.
It is important to understand your prognosis when you make decisions about your care and treatment if you have terminal cancer. You may want to know how long you have to live. It can be different for each person and depends on the type of cancer, where it has spread, and whether you have other illnesses. Some people want more information on their prognosis than others.
Your doctor can talk about treatment options with you and your family and explain the effects they may have on your cancer and your quality of life. Make sure you understand your options and ask questions if you need more information. People who discuss end-of-life choices with their doctors are more likely to receive the care they want.
For more information from the National Cancer Institute about communication in cancer care, see the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Physician Data Query (PDQ) is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries come in two versions. The health professional versions have detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that is accurate and up to date and most versions are also available in Spanish.
PDQ is a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH is the federal government’s center of biomedical research. The PDQ summaries are based on an independent review of the medical literature. They are not policy statements of the NCI or the NIH.
This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about communicating with the cancer patient and his or her family. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary ("Updated") is the date of the most recent change.
The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board.
A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard." Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Clinical trials can be found online at NCI's website. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service (CIS), NCI's contact center, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).
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The best way to cite this PDQ summary is:
PDQ® Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board. PDQ Communication in Cancer Care. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated <MM/DD/YYYY>. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/adjusting-to-cancer/communication-pdq. Accessed <MM/DD/YYYY>. [PMID: 26389345]
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