Cancer

An ethical explanation of the issues surrounding medical decision-making at the transition points between curative, palliative and terminal care in patients with advanced cancer. An explanation is given of the difficulties arising at diagnosis and in giving a prognosis.

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When a patient needs specialised palliative care, the GP can lose touch, and can feel divorced from the palliative care system. How do GPs cope with giving bad news, and with counselling relatives? How do they see their role within the multiprofessional palliative care framework? How much should GPs be expected to know about the details of palliative drug treatments? How can busy GPs provide continuity of care to patients who choose to die at home? Using many actual quotes from practising GPs, this book highlights the dilemmas faced by GPs struggling to provide high standards of palliative care in the community.