Is there a “best” way to deliver a cancer diagnosis?

There is no good way to tell a patient she has cancer. In a recent podcast, the breast surgeons at Comprehensive Breast Cancer discussed the best way to deliver a cancer diagnosis.

They all agree that an initial telephone conversation is the option they choose.

“If we wait until a patient comes to our office to receive the news for the first time, in the vast majority of cases, as soon as the patient hears she has breast cancer, she stops listening and the rest of our conversation is pointless,” finds Linsey Gold, DO.

Receiving the diagnosis over the telephone allows the patient an opportunity to bring family members to the in-person consult, gives the patient time to be better prepared to ask questions, and most importantly, provides time – time for the patient to absorb the news, get over the initial shock, scream, cry … release all of the emotions she is experiencing.