ABSTRACT
One of the most difficult ethical dilemmas facing health care professionals working in oncology is whether, when, how and how much to tell terminal cancer patients about their diagnosis and prognosis. The aim of this article is to review the trends in this issue worldwide. While a majority of physicians in both developed and developing countries tell the truth more often today than in the past, the assumption that truth-telling is always beneficial to patients can be questioned. The issue of truth-telling is still approached differently in different countries and cultures and there is a need for an increased awareness of cultural differences to truth-telling among patients from ethnic minorities.
Subject(s)
Communication , Cultural Characteristics , Neoplasms/ethnology , Truth Disclosure/ethics , Attitude of Health Personnel/ethnology , Attitude to Death/ethnology , Attitude to Health/ethnology , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Developed Countries , Developing Countries , Family/ethnology , Global Health , Humans , Medical Oncology/ethics , Neoplasms/diagnosis , Nurse's Role/psychology , Physician's Role/psychology , Principle-Based Ethics , Professional-Patient Relations/ethics , Prognosis , Quality of Life/psychologyABSTRACT
One of the most difficult ethical dilemmas facing health care professionals working in oncology is whether, when, how and how much to tell terminal cancer patients about their diagnosis and prognosis. The aim of this article is to review the trends in this issue worldwide. While a majority of physicians in both developed and developing countries tell the truth more often today than in the past, the assumption that truth-telling is always beneficial to patients can be questioned. The issue of truth-telling is still approached differently in different countries and cultures and there is a need for an increased awareness of cultural differences to truth-telling among patients from ethnic minorities
Subject(s)
Ethics , Physician-Patient Relations , Truth Disclosure , Patient Rights , Quality of Life , NeoplasmsABSTRACT
Fibrokeratoma is a rare benign invasive tumour usually located on the digits. We report a 35-year-old patient with a giant acquired fibrokeratoma of the heel. Despite its large size and unusual location, the tumour was microscopically benign and was successfully excised.
Subject(s)
Fibroma/pathology , Foot Diseases/pathology , Keratosis/pathology , Adult , Diagnosis, Differential , Fibroma/surgery , Foot Diseases/surgery , Heel , Humans , Keratosis/surgery , MaleABSTRACT
Tissue defects in the antihelix and the concha due to oncological resection and trauma can be successfully repaired with a subcutaneously based postauricular island flap. Alternative methods of regional reconstruction usually need two stages or may require grafts in some patients. We present the one-stage technique, as described by Masson, without grafts, to provide adequate reconstruction and aesthetic restoration of the area, illustrated by 62 patients. In all patients there has been a follow-up period of 12 months. This report provides evidence for the aesthetic superiority of this method. An excellent aesthetic outcome was achieved in 46 patients, an adequate outcome in 15 patients, and a poor result in only 1 patient. No flap necrosis was observed. The method has considerable advantages for the repair of anterior conchal and antihelical defects.
