---

This second edition addresses a variety of ethical issues that arise in the care of oncology patients. It covers issues that are central to contemporary medical practice and medical ethics inquiry.

---

Peter Angelos Numerous ethical issues arise in the care of oncology patients. Although much has been written in the last several decades on ethical issues in caring for patients, few volumes have sought to focus the exploration on ethical issues particularly relevant to the care of cancer patients. In 1999, the first edition of this book was published. Since that time, many changes have occurred in how some cancers are diagnosed and treated, but the central ethical issues have continued to challenge patients, families, and their health care providers. All of the chapters from the prior edition have been updated and there are seven new chapters in this expanded edition. In this second edition, the perspectives on what is an ethical issue have been broadened by bringing authors of differing backgrounds into the discussion. In Chapter 1, the perspective of a cancer patient is provided as an open letter to physicians. Although Parvez Kamangar is providing only one patient´s perspective, this is an essential voice that is not often heard in texts on medical ethics. In Chapters 2 and 3, the issues of communication and the physician-patient relationship are explored in order to better understand how the needs of patients and families can be met. In Chapter 4, Professor Tod Chambers highlights the challenges to providing ethical care to patients in a multicultural society.

---

An Open Letter to Doctors.- Physicians and Cancer Patients: Communication and Advance Directives.- Information is Not Enough:The Place of Statistics in the Doctor-Patient Relationship.- Cross-Cultural Issues in Caring for Patients with Cancer.- Hope and Communication in Cancer Care: What Patients Tell Us.- Addressing The Spiritual Needs Of Patients.- Pediatric Cancer Care: Special Issues in Ethical Decision Making.- The Ethics of Responding to Pain and Suffering.- Are There Limits to Oncology Care? (Futility).- The Role of Palliative Medicine in Cancer Patient Care.- Holding on and Letting Go: Ethical Issues Regarding the Care of Children with Cancer.- Communicating Errors.- Research Ethics and the Ethics of Research: Should We Offer Clinical Trial Participation or Clinical Research Partnership to Oncology Patients in the New Millennium?.- Does Reimbursement Affect Physicians´ Decision Making? Examples from the Use of Recombinent Erythropoietin.

---