Introduction and Scope of the Problem Children with cancer and their families face sudden and profound life changes brought on by the diagnosis of a serious illness. Cancer remains one of the most life-threatening childhood illnesses. Children with cancer and…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem The hematologic malignancies consist of a broad group of disorders comprising approximately 10% of new cancer diagnoses each year in the United States. Patients with hematological malignancies experience widely varying clinical trajectories, prognoses, and…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Approximately 178,000 people are diagnosed with hematologic malignancies every year in the United States. These patients face highly unpredictable illness trajectories and intense treatment plans, resulting in complex psychological and physical symptoms. The high…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Although the National Cancer Institute (NCI) defines advanced cancer as “unlikely to be cured or controlled by treatment,” recent advances in therapy have favorably altered the illness trajectory for patients with many types of…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Cancer has become one of the leading causes of premature death globally. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2040 there will be 27 million new cancer diagnoses annually. As the global burden of…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Differences in Pediatric and Adult Decision Making One important difference when communicating with seriously ill pediatric patients compared to seriously ill adult patients is that the pediatric patient, in most circumstances, does not have…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Patients and families facing a serious illness are confronted with multiple decisions about medical care. These decisions are high-stakes, are stressful for all involved, and have numerous downstream effects for patients, families, providers, and…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem The two most common communication tasks faced by palliative care clinicians are communicating serious news and discussing transitions in goals of care. Although these skills are often taught as part of general medical, nursing,…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Prognostication—the process of addressing “what to expect” for an individual’s disease course—is essential for meaningful decision making at all stages of serious illness. Estimating prognosis is most commonly applied to estimating life expectancy, but…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Many people faced with a life-threatening illness wonder what the last hours to days of their life will entail. They may express concerns that their symptoms will be difficult to control or that they…