Hard Questions
Hard Questions
Should doctors disclose preliminary results?
False alarms are terrifying, and false reassurance is cruel, yet all the while, excessive waiting can feel excruciating.
Hard Questions
Gatekeeper
Many people with metastatic cancer say they wouldn’t want invasive treatment near the end of life. But how do we know when it’s the end?
Hard Questions
Information overload
Once a patient hears “cancer,” they often stop listening. We could go on, spelling out the next steps and treatment options. But patients usually...
Hard Questions
The oncologist’s dilemma
What do you do when the evidence doesn’t line up with the patient’s wishes?
Hard Questions
When is the right time to stop treatment?
Patients often face a trade-off of more suffering with a small chance at remission, versus accepting no chance of cure but feeling well for as...
Hard Questions
Am I going to die?
In the debut column of Hard Questions, Dr. Ilana Yurkiewicz explores thorny issues of patient care as she pursues her hematology and oncology...