{"id":7342,"date":"2019-09-23T11:36:24","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T16:36:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=7342"},"modified":"2024-06-19T10:12:37","modified_gmt":"2024-06-19T15:12:37","slug":"cancer-delivering-the-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/cancer-delivering-the-message\/","title":{"rendered":"Cancer: Delivering the message"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cancer is an insidious disease. The cells have an agenda of their own, betraying the body. It wreaks havoc on souls and families. I doubt you can find a single person whose life has not been touched by it in some way.<\/p>\n

Not only does it affect people directly, the tentacles of cancer spread out and grab all those nearby. It makes the war personal for everyone in its reach \u2013 even the people who treat it.<\/p>\n

The uniqueness of cancer bonds the providers and patients together. And the fact that cancer evokes such fear makes breaking the news one of the most stressful moments in a health care provider\u2019s job.<\/p>\n

Dr. Manpreet Sandhu<\/a>, medical oncologist, and Jill Emmons, cancer patient navigator, with OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony\u2019s Health Center<\/a> talk about this challenging part of being a health care professional that is often overlooked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of us who chose to go into health care are by nature, compassionate, loving people. We have a lot of empathy for others, rejoicing in the good and hurting through the bad,\u201d Dr. Sandhu said. \u201cAnd cancer is one of those diseases that magnifies this relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cCancer can be both predictable and volatile, causing anxiety for the patient and their family. Everybody is on a roller coaster ride of emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laying the foundation<\/h2>\n

The \u201cbreaking the news\u201d consultation is an essential cornerstone for building trust, according to Dr. Sandhu. Cancer treatments<\/a> usually involve frequent treatments for several months, and it is crucial to have a strong relationship with your patient.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been in the room when Dr. Sandhu informs a patient of their diagnosis, and it\u2019s one of the hardest parts of my job,\u201d said Jill Emmons. \u201cIt can be very traumatic for everyone, especially for the ones who had no symptoms and are blindsided by the diagnosis.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know if they have a support system or anyone at all who will be there for them. It can be heartbreaking, so we stay positive and focus on treatment options.\u201d<\/p>\n

As opposed to many other diseases, a cancer diagnosis can be drawn out and may require a person to wait several weeks for lab results. That time is stressful for the patient and their families.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I agree. It\u2019s best to be honest and straightforward with people and focus on treatment options,\u201d Dr. Sandhu said. \u201cMy mentor taught me to pause and give them all the time they need to comprehend the news. It\u2019s in those moments that my heart aches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Switching gears<\/h2>\n

It is also during those moments that Dr. Sandhu and Emmons switch gears and become the person\u2019s advocate, friend and cheerleaders: advising, encouraging, listening and taking notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter they hear the word ‘cancer,’ they don\u2019t hear anything else. That\u2019s when I become their eyes and ears. I start taking notes, so I can coordinate their appointments and answer their questions later,\u201d Emmons said. \u201cWe have to stay grounded and help them to focus on moving forward. When you are dealing with cancer day after day, it is difficult to stay positive and upbeat, but we have to for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

OSF HealthCare provides cancer care throughout the state of Illinois.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The \u201cbreaking the news\u201d consultation is an essential cornerstone for building trust for cancer patients and care providers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[660,477],"coauthors":[687],"class_list":["post-7342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cancer","tag-osf-saint-anthonys","tag-patient-communication"],"yoast_head":"\nCancer: Delivering the message<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The \u201cbreaking the news\u201d consultation is an essential cornerstone for building trust for cancer patients and care providers.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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