Ethics for Clinicians and Surgeons: Speaking the Truth

Abstract

JBR is a rural worker, he is 68 years old, and six months ago he started to have difficulties urinating during this period he lost 15 kilos (almost 33 pounds) and started to feel bone pain. About a week ago he suffered a fall and had to be hospitalized. At the hospital, they diagnosed a fracture of the femur and, after a more detailed investigation, it was detected that JBR had prostate cancer with bone metastases. His family did not want the diagnosis to be revealed to him, due to a history of treatment for depression, 3 years ago, after the death of his wife. However, the patient asked to be told the result of the biopsy performed during hospitalization. In this situation, how should the doctor proceed?