Truth-telling and cancer diagnoses: Physician attitudes and practices in Qatar

There is limited information regarding physicians’ attitudes toward revealing cancer diagnoses to patients in the Arab world. Using a questionnaire informed by a seminal study carried out by Oken in 1961, our research sought to determine present-day disclosure practices in Qatar, identify physician sociodemographic variables associated with truth-telling, and outline trends related to future practice. A sample of 131 physicians was polled. Although nearly 90% of doctors said they would inform cancer patients of their diagnosis, 66% of respondents stated that they madeexceptionstotheirpolicy,dependingonpatientcharacteristics. These data suggest that clinical practices are somewhat discordant on professed beliefs about the ethical propriety of disclosure. The Oncologist 2012;17:1469–1474