(2005) Cancer Patients' and Patient Advocates' Perspectives on a Novel Information Source: A Qualitative Study of The Art of Oncology, When the Tumor Is Not the Target

Cancer Patients' and Patient Advocates' Perspectives on a Novel Information Source: A Qualitative Study of The Art of Oncology, When the Tumor Is Not the Target

"....A special section of the Journal of Clinical Oncology entitled “The Art of Oncology: When the Tumor Is Not the Target” was initiated in January 2000 to facilitate discussion among professionals regarding improved end-of-life patient care. The articles published in this journal section, which were written by and for oncology health care professionals, were compiled into an anthology, which is also entitled The Art of Oncology: When the Tumor Is Not the Target,⁷ and sent to all members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in May 2003. The anthology is divided into the following four sections: (1) end-of-life issues; (2) emotions of the oncologist; (3) hospice and symptom control; and (4) survivorship issues. The articles included in the anthology were developed from the beginning as informational sources that could potentially be of value, not only to professional audiences, but to select members of the lay public as well, including patients facing end-of-life issues and their families. In the current study, we interviewed advanced cancer patients and patient advocates about their personal perspectives on this anthology (ovarian cancer patients included).....