Suffering With Advanced Cancer

Wilson, Keith G.; Chochinov, Harvey Max; McPherson, Christine; LeMay, Katerine; Allard, Pierre; Chary, Srini; Gagnon, Pierre; MacMillan, Ken; Luca, Marina De; O'Shea, Fiona; Kuhl, David; Fainsinger, Robin L.

doi:10.1200/jco.2006.08.6801

Cited by 148 publications

(193 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In this study, advanced cancer patients are defined as those suffering from incurable malignancy, clinical stage T3 and T4 disease at diagnosis, bone metastases [29] and highly fatal tumors, such as lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, squamous cell carcinoma [30], or patients expected to live less than six months with no existing established curative treatments.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Brief Meaning-focused Intervention for Advanced Cancer Patients in Acute Oncology Setting

Theresa¹

2013

J Palliative Care Med

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Brief Meaning-focused Intervention for Advanced Cancer Patients in Acute Oncology Setting

Theresa¹

2013

J Palliative Care Med

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“…Some of us are very good at using these interventions, and the rest of us could learn from them. Pain is a leading cause of suffering (Wilson et al, 2007). If the expertise that we have developed can ease some of this suffering, let us make sure this skill set is one which we continue to access and refine.…”

Section: Acting To Alleviate Remediable Sufferingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Speaking of Suffering and Occupational Therapy

Egan

2007

Can J Occup Ther

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“…1(p48) The physician-healer helps the patient discover opportunities for growth in the most dire of circumstances, and the ability to transcend suffering exists even in the presence of the most frightening of diseases. For example, a substantial percentage of advanced cancer patients report little or no suffering, 27 and there is ample witness to the peace evinced by persons who have accepted their impending deaths. 28,29 For the suffering patient, acceptance often results in a personal style for handling the illness, as Broyard described: "…every seriously ill person needs to develop a style for his illness.…”

Section: Transcending Sufferingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Suffering, Meaning, and Healing: Challenges of Contemporary Medicine

Egnew¹

2009

The Annals of Family Medicine

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This essay explores the thesis that changes in contemporary society have transformed the work of doctoring and challenge doctors to be physician-healers. Medical advances in the prevention and management of acute disease have wrought a growing population of chronically ill patients whose care obliges physicians to become holistic healers. Holistic healing involves the transcendence of suffering. Suffering arises from perceptions of a threat to the integrity of personhood, relates to the meaning patients ascribe to their illness experience, and is conveyed as an intensely personal narrative. Physician-healers use the power of the doctor-patient relationship to help patients discover or create new illness narratives with fresh meanings that reconnect them to the world and to others and thereby transcend suffering and experience healing. Physician-healers equipped with the attitudes, skills, and knowledge to assist patients to transcend suffering are indispensable if contemporary medicine is to maintain its tradition as a healing profession. In the process, physicians may discover meaningful connections with patients that bring new and refreshing perspectives to their work. Also, I would like a doctor who is not only a talented physician, but a bit of a metaphysician, too. Someone who can treat body and soul.Anatole Broyard 1(p40) * D uring 30 years of teaching family medicine residents, I have witnessed many changes in medicine and the image of physicians. As refl ected by television, the warm and understanding Dr Marcus Welby (whose program debut was the year family medicine became a specialty) has morphed into the arrogant, cynical Dr Gregory House. Whereas Welby helped patients struggling with transformations in their lives through the strength of his humanity, House condescendingly rescues them from death by sagacity and technology. This evolution seems to mirror changes in medicine grown more technically sophisticated and powerful while physician morale has plummeted and public trust eroded.2-4 What happened? Contemporary society has entered a postmodern era in which economic, philosophical, and technological advances have transformed medicine, doctoring, and the doctor-patient relationship.5 A growing service economy rendered physicians "providers," patients "customers," and medicine a "product." A belief in the relativity of knowledge categorizes biomedicine as but one of a variety of legitimate healing models that vie for patients. The authority of the patient's story of illness now competes with the doctor's story of disease. Doctors are confronted with medical information garnered from the Internet, often of dubious quality and unrelated to the patient's clinical condition. A colleague recently reported having a 171 SU F FER ING , ME A NING & HE A L ING9-year-old patient request a hypnotic by brand name, thanks to television advertising. The world of contemporary doctoring has changed! It seems today's physicians are expected to be an amalgam of Welby's warmth and House's brilliance. As advance...

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Suffering With Advanced Cancer

Abstract: Many patients with advanced cancer do not consider themselves to be suffering. For those who do, suffering is a multidimensional experience related most strongly to physical symptoms, but with contributions from psychological distress, existential concerns, and social-relational worries.

Cited by 148 publications

References 26 publications

A Brief Meaning-focused Intervention for Advanced Cancer Patients in Acute Oncology Setting

A Brief Meaning-focused Intervention for Advanced Cancer Patients in Acute Oncology Setting

Speaking of Suffering and Occupational Therapy

Suffering, Meaning, and Healing: Challenges of Contemporary Medicine

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