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spring08_cripe_basic.pdf

Cancer may be the most symbolic of diseases for our culture: where you have symbols you have language, and where you have language you have lies. When is it best to for doctors and medical professionals to protect patients from the truth about “The Big C”? And if we think they should fuzz the truth in this respect, when can we trust them?

When: Tuesday January 15, 2:45 pm - 5:00 pm
Where: IUPUI Cavanaugh Hall Room 508, 425 University Boulevard

The IU School of Liberal Arts and Medical Humanities present the Health Studies Seminars 2007-2008:

“In the Shadow of Hope: Truth-telling in Oncology” — A talk by Dr. Larry Cripe, M.D., Associate Professor, Division of Hematology/Oncology IUSM

In her insightful article, “Telling the truth to patients with cancer: what is the truth?” Antonella Surbone cites Bernard Williams’s Truth and Truthfulness:

in contemporary societies where “devotion to truthfulness” and “pervasive suspicion about truth itself” coexist, a reappraisal of “virtues of truth” is necessary. Such virtues include sincerity, accuracy, and authenticity, qualities shown by people in “wanting to know the truth, in finding it out, and in telling it to other people”. Along with possessing the virtues of truth, oncologists are helped in solving the dilemmas of truth-telling to people with cancer by an awareness of the dynamic provisional nature of truth and of the relational nature of the patient’s autonomy.

Dr. Surbone concludes:

Truth is the foundation for oncologists’ relationships with their patients. In a world where constant exchange of factual information has become typical in almost all aspects of life, oncologists should consciously avoid the tendency to equate truth-telling with simply providing their patients with objective medical information. The truth at stake includes, but is not confined to, these neutral objective facts. Rather, it comprises other aspects. Truth derives from and is shared within the relationships that oncologists establish with their patients. During the course of these partnerships, truth emerges at times from honest disclosure of diagnosis and from discussion of either treatment options and risk or prognosis. At other times, truth becomes known from sharing moments of deep connection with patients, through words, silence, or a smile, and from reassuring them of our presence, attention, respect, and care. Hence, evolution of the truth and truth-telling in oncology are inextricably intertwined with development of the many aspects of a sincere, honest, authentic, and creative therapeutic relationship in oncology.

Given this challenge to tell the truth in highly contextualized environments, we are fortunate to hear about the topic from Dr. Larry Cripe. His medical credentials are impeccable: associate professor at IU’s Mel and Bren Simon Cancer Center, investigator at Walther Cancer Institute Foundation, author of an unsurprisingly long list of articles. More interestingly, his list of articles includes “Oncologist Assisted Spiritual Intervention Study (OASIS): patient acceptability and initial evidence of effects” and “Music imagery for adults with acute leukemia in protective environments: a feasibility study.” In 2000 Dr. Cripe established the CompleteLife Program, whose services include art and music expression, nutritional consultation, social work, group support, psychological and psychiatric care, massage therapy and appearance consultation. Music and spirituality … pretty good tools for establishing “a sincere, honest, authentic, and creative therapeutic relationship in oncology.”

These events are free of charge and open to the public but seating is limited. To RSVP or get more information, contact: Vanessa d’Amico at vkoepke@iupui.edu or (317) 278-1669

Know before you go:

You can get an overview of Antonella Surbone’s arguments in her “Truth telling and ethical issues: an overview.”

Truth-telling and cancer is a particularly thorny topic in today’s increasingly multi-cultural medical world: different cultures treat truth and sickness very differently. See the articles about “Cultural Aspects of Truth Disclosure” in medicine.

If this event sounds interesting, check out … The seminar on “Religious Values in the Health Marketplace: Stories from Catholic and Jewish Hospitals” March 5.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 at 4:07 pm and is filed under Events, Health & Medicine, Morality & Ethics, Inter-cultural communication. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.