Some Elements of Prognosis in Terminal Cancer

摘要: Predicting the survival of terminal cancer patients is a difficult task. To better understand this difficulty, we divide prognostication into two distinct elements: foreseeing and foretelling. Foreseeing physician's silent cognitive estimate about patient's illness. Foretelling communication that prediction to patient or significant others. In article, review impact each element prognosis on physicians' overall prognostic accuracy. We show physicians often make unwitting, large, generally optimistic errors in patients' prognoses. They also may more conscious, but equally foretelling prognoses patients. The net effect become twice removed from truth their illness, both times toward falsely prognosis. describe possible consequences these errors. Finally, techniques improve conclude part challenge providing humane, compassionate end-of-life care involve accurately