Question about cancer diagnosis in the 90s

Demonique

I was told by someone that in the early 90s if someone had a cancer diagnosis doctors wouldn't tell them that they had cancer, that they'd tell their family members instead. She said that it was because that way the patient would have hope that they'd get better because they'd think they had something other than cancer.


Is this true or is this person telling massive porkie pies?

echo beach

I can't say how long this practice went on but it certainly happened in the seventies and eighties. At that time it was common to never say the word 'cancer', using terms like 'the big C' or 'the bad disease' instead.

It was intended to protect the patient at a time when recovery rates were much lower than now but I don't think it was that successful as most people would guess what was wrong. I heard of families refusing a referral to St Luke's hospital because the patient would then know they had cancer and many families who did have a relative there never admitted it to neighbours and friends.

It was a very different time.

huskerdu

In the 80s, my grandmother was not told that she had cancer.
The operation to remove the tumour was a success and it was felt that she would consider the diagnosis fatal and would not believe the family and doctors that the chances of it coming back were very slim.

It was fairly normal practice at the time and the family agreed.