Ethical Issues in Cancer Patient Care

Peter Angelos Numerous ethical issues arise in the care of oncology patients. Although much has been written in the last several decades on ethical issues in caring for patients, few volumes have sought to focus the exploration on ethical issues particularly relevant to the care of cancer patients. In 1999, the first edition of this book was published. Since that time, many changes have occurred in how some cancers are diagnosed and treated, but the central ethical issues have continued to challenge patients, families, and their health care providers. All of the chapters from the prior edition have been updated and there are seven new chapters in this expanded edition. In this second edition, the perspectives on what is an ethical issue have been broadened by bringing authors of differing backgrounds into the discussion. In Chapter 1, the perspective of a cancer patient is provided as an open letter to physicians. Although Parvez Kamangar is providing only one patient’s perspective, this is an essential voice that is not often heard in texts on medical ethics. In Chapters 2 and 3, the issues of communication and the physician-patient relationship are explored in order to better understand how the needs of patients and families can be met. In Chapter 4, Professor Tod Chambers highlights the challenges to providing ethical care to patients in a multicultural society.