Medical Secrecy and the Development of Virtue in Medical Oncology Practice the Secret of Sugar Canes

This case concerns the reckless words of Doctor A., who, under the influence of alcohol, revealed the name and medical condition of Mr. L. at a social gathering. The patient learned about this event through a nurse who attended the party. The issue of medical confidentiality is very important in medical oncology practice. I decided for this reason to address this topic. The objective of this commentary is to analyze four ethical dilemmas concerning medical secrecy: Does a doctor have the duty to remain silent while off duty? How to resolve an ethical conflict? Is the extension of secrecy lawful? In addition, can confidentiality be violated in any circumstance? A broad ethical overview allows us to conclude that the duty of silence accompanies the doctor in all times of life. The nurse mismanaged this conflict. The secret can be shared, and it is relative because sometimes it is lawful to violate confidentiality. Finally, this article presents a fable about the virtue of prudence. This is applicable to medical oncology practice.