Narrative review of cancer bereavement care before loss.

Abstract

Contrary to sudden death, cancer death allows families to have a certain period to be ready for death and receive some support from health care providers. This review aims to picture a family's experience of cancer trajectory that is associated with bereavement outcomes and health care provider's care provided before loss. We reviewed pre-loss factors associated with grief and indicated that preparedness for death may contribute to alleviating grief. Simultaneously, families are afraid of confronting bereavement and under pressure to prepare for death by making decisions about death-related treatments and providing caregiving. Throughout our review of randomized control trials of pre-loss interventions, we found almost no interventions that improve preparedness for death. Some guidelines and literature demonstrate that communication is the key to promoting preparedness properly. Early discussion to provide information and opportunity for decision-making regarding preparing for death is desired, as well as being aware of families' feelings of resistance to engaging in discussion and losing hope in prolonging the patient's life. Through communication, oncologists can support them, creating a soft landing toward the stages of loss. This process of preparing for loss ultimately may contribute to grief care.