How to tell patients they have cancer... (dentist version)

♠︎Delivering Bad News♠︎

On a patient referred for an extraction, I found a lesion on the lateral side of the tongue.. biopsy result: 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘮a.. which was what I was thinking but was really hoping not.⁣⁣ So here are some tips that I've compiled to help deliver bad news if there was ever a day you need to do it..

✽ 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬.. ✽⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣1. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵 - tell facts. This isn’t something where the “sandwich” technique of the bad would help: meaning you compliment first then squeeze bad news in between then compliment again. No! Just tell them directly the facts. (This is a pro tip from my boss). Don’t say you have a lesion…say “you have cancer” - studies show that by softening the blow, it may delay the patient’s understanding of truth and can even promote their denial. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ 2. 𝘗𝘈𝘜𝘚𝘌. Let them vent their fear or anger or whatever emotions they have. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ 3. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵.⁣⁣⁣⁣ 4. 𝘋𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵.⁣⁣⁣⁣ 5. 𝘋𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 ⁣⁣⁣⁣ 6. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦. Avoid phrases like: “don’t worry” or “it’ll be okay”⁣⁣⁣⁣ 7. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦. What you DON’T say may be key in this. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ 8. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. Express your support and commitment to the patient.⁣⁣⁣⁣ 9. 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 with a call or in person to see if an appointment has been made to the appropriate caretaker.⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣ These are just some recommendations I gathered (after researching talking to some mentors) which helped me. Everyone I’m sure has their own way of doing this and their own justifications. It’s HARD to deliver bad news and frankly, I don’t know if there is any correct way..⁣⁣⁣⁣ ☀︎ 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰!!⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 𝘛h𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧? ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Ps: reminder to ALWAYS do your oral cancer screening EVERY TIME you see the patient (doesn’t matter if you just saw them last week, a day ago, etc - DO IT! You just never know..)