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The
ethical dilemmas often concern oncologists in their day-to-day practice. Often
the ethical and medico-legal issues go together around their practice. Commonly
noticed ethical issue is getting false positives during cancer detection and
diagnosis. False positive test results, thence cancer misdiagnosis would lead
to mental agony, cascade of health issues due to wrong treatment process and
even death; further, medico-legal issues may crop up from such events. The
misdiagnosis of cancer may further complicate the pre-existing health issues like
hypertension due to stress and the medico-legal issues thereof. Breaking the
bad news, i.e., informing cancer diagnosis to the patient poses major ethical
dilemma to the oncologists. Because, often the oncologist confused whether to
disclose the whole truth to the patient or to give a shielded information
regarding diagnosis or the spread of cancer. Some cancer patients are fearful
and unwilling to carry on radiation or chemotherapy and prefer either to quit treatment,
or switch over to alternative medicines like Ayurveda, Homoeopath, etc. Here,
the oncologist is in ethical dilemma whether to choose ‘patient autonomy’ or
give preference to the principle of ‘beneficence’. Similar dilemma also happens
if patient wants withdrawal of a nonresponsive treatment. Decision making by
the oncologist in terminally ill patients, i.e., do not resuscitate orders,
euthanasia have serious ethical and medico-legal concerns, country to country.
Often the oncologist tangled in ethical issues arising out of patient’s
personality, religion, culture and socioeconomic status. The oncologist should
resolve the ethical issues by properly analyzing the situation in scientific,
yet empathetic manner keeping the principles of non-maleficence and patient
autonomy at upper hand. The aim of this presentation is to emphasize the
commonly detected ethical and medico-legal issues around the Oncologists, and
to discuss their solutions thereof.
Keywords: Cancer, Dilemma, Ethical, Medicolegal, Challenges, Oncologists
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