BREAKING BAD NEWS TO PATIENTS WITH ORAL CANCER: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Introduction: More than 350,000 people are diagnosed with lip and oral cavity cancer each year worldwide, however, only a few health professionals receive specific training for developing communication skills to deliver cancer diagnoses. Objective: This study aimed to explore the paradigms of cancer diagnosis disclosure with a focus on oral cancer, and to present a protocol currently available for this purpose. Study Design: A search in databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SCOPUS was conducted by using the following search terms: oral cancer, mouth lesions, oncology, communication, bad news, and truth disclosure. Papers published in the English language through March 2019 were included. Results: The diagnosis of oral cancer is a significant life-changing event, and the way it is communicated to patients can have meaningful clinical and psychoemotional consequences. In this scenario, SPIKES (setting, perception, invitation, knowledge, emotion, strategy) is a 6-step protocol for delivering unfavorable information for patients with cancer that pays special attention to the particular needs of patients by focusing on patient preferences, which may result in better treatment outcomes. Conclusion: SPIKES may be useful to guide health professionals in the challenging task of disclosing an oral cancer diagnosis.