Ethical counseling in Cancer

Ethical counseling in Cancer

September 10, 16h. | Salón de Actos del H. General (Áula Ortiz Vázquez). H. Universitario La Paz


To Tell or Not to Tell? Cancer, Culture and Autonomy
Mark Aulisio (Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland)


Ethical counseling in the oncological wards: two methods, one root
Boniolo, V. Sanchini (European Institute of Oncology-U. Milan)


Organized by the Servicio de Oncología (H. Universitario de La Paz), Dpto. de Lógica, Historia y Filosofía de la ciencia (UNED) + Proyecto FFI2011-28835

For further information: dteira [@] fsof.uned.es


To Tell or Not to Tell? Cancer, Culture and Autonomy

Mark Aulisio (Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland)

Abstract: This session will focus on the case of an elderly woman who has been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, but who has not yet been told the diagnosis.  Her adult children, having learned of the diagnosis, insist that it not be disclosed to her because the knowledge will, they say, decrease her will to live and thus shorten her life.  Discussion will focus on (1) the ethical challenges created by cultural background, stigma's association with "cancer," the rise of patient autonomy as a core value in western medicine and how (2) how these ethical challenges might be met through ethics consultation.


Ethical counseling in the oncological wards: two methods, one root

G. Boniolo, V. Sanchini (European Institute of Oncology-U. Milan)

Abstract : The daily activity of a cancer hospital is permeated with difficult decisions to be made by all the parties involved. Currently, we are becoming ever more aware of the fact that these decisions are not only treatment decisions, but they imply also moral values and religious beliefs therefore adding further layers of complexity to biomedical decision-making. This recognition has fostered the proliferation of services for ethics consultation support, some of which are directed towards patients and/or relatives, some others towards physicians.

Starting from the already existing services of clinical ethics consultation, we propose a different approach, characterized by patient-centredness and non-directiveness and meant as a service both for patients and for oncologists engaged with clinical decisions involving troublesome ethical choices. However, despite having the same purpose, since this difficult decisions affect patients and physicians in a very different way, we think that the kind of support that the ethical counseling should provide them with should differ a lot with respect to them, thus requiring two different methodologies. Firstly we present our account of ethical counseling. Secondly, we present the two different methodologies we developed, one directed towards patients and the other one towards oncologists. Finally, we show how one real clinical case arising ethical dilemmas might be addressed and properly analysed through such methodologies.