Delivering bad news: a vital skill for professionals involved in breast cancer care

Abstract

Delivering bad news to patients being evaluated for and diagnosed with breast cancer requires a unique blend of medical knowledge, compassion, and sensitivity. Although many of the techniques involved are intuitive, one can enhance these skills by incorporating a few simple concepts into the patient encounter. By combining these with an understanding of appropriate responses to possible patient reactions to the news, one can create a more effective groundwork for the patient’s recovery on both physical and emotional levels.