Breast cancer diagnosis communication

Abstract

Perhaps, more than any other kind of cancer, the breast cancer exposes the patient not only to an emotional and psychological injury, but also to a modification on self-esteem. The breast cancer diagnosis communication occurs in a crucial moment of diagnosis of the disease. The aim of this review was to verify if there is a pattern of communicating breast cancer diagnosis, and to identify the most relevant aspects involved on it. The search was carried out in Medline, Lilacs and Cochrane databases, using MeSH terms “breast neoplasms”, “disclosure”, “persuasive communication”, “diagnosis” and “physician-patient relations”, through which eight studies were chosen. From these selected articles, six broached relevant aspects of this communication; two characterized the sources of communication; one analyzed the patients after the diagnosis. Finally, this review allows us to conclude that there is not a single way to communicate the diagnosis of breast cancer, as it involves such complexes and variable personal preferences.