Abstract
Background. Empirical research demonstrates that there is a tendency to administer tumor-directed therapy to patients with advanced cancer close to death, especially if they are young. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand oncologists' treatment decisions and oncology nurses' perception of these decisions in young adult patients and to investigate the extent to which young age was a factor in cancer treatment decisions. Materials and Methods. We conducted 29 face-to-face interviews with oncologists and oncology nurses at the Department of Hematology and Oncology at the University Hospital in Munich, Germany. The interviews were analyzed according to the grounded theory approach. Results. Oncologists and nurses reported that decisions about limiting cancer treatment with young adult patients are the most challenging and stressful in clinical practice. Apart from using young age as a proxy for patient's medical fitness, oncologists' decisions in favor of more aggressive treatment of younger patients were mainly guided by ethical reasons such as patient preferences and the perceptions of injustice associated with dying at a young age, as well as by psychological reasons, such as identification and emotional entanglement. Conclusion. "Struggling" together with the patient against the injustice of dying young for a longer lifetime is an important factor driving aggressive treatment in young adult patients. However, oncologists might run a risk of neglecting other ethical aspects, such as a principle of nonmaleficence, that might even result in life-shortening adverse events.
| Dokumententyp: | Zeitschriftenartikel |
|---|---|
| Fakultät: | Medizin |
| Themengebiete: | 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit |
| ISSN: | 1083-7159 |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Dokumenten ID: | 65241 |
| Datum der Veröffentlichung auf Open Access LMU: | 19. Jul. 2019, 12:17 |
| Letzte Änderungen: | 04. Nov. 2020, 13:45 |
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