ArticleCurrent oncology (Toronto, Ont.)2026
Greek Physicians' Skills and Factors Affecting Breaking Bad News to Cancer Patients.
Article in Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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6 authors.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesBreaking bad news is crucial for patient-centered care. This study aimed to assess physicians' skills and investigate the possible factors affecting their ability to communicate bad news.
methodsThis web-based cross-sectional survey of 633 Greek physicians included demographic and other breaking bad news related questions to evaluate their skills and practices in breaking bad news to patients with cancer.
resultsMost physicians defined bad news (91.5%) and frequently used both verbal and non-verbal communication (82.6%). About three-quarters rated their ability to communicate bad news as good to very good (75%) and about half (50.4%) disclosed bad news in a private and comfortable setting. Emotional responses, like sadness (53.4%) and compassion (49.6%), were common, while fears mainly focused on diminishing patients' hope (60.8%) or managing patients' reactions (53.9%). Female physicians showed higher anxiety (15.9% vs. 4.3%,
conclusionsThese findings highlight the value of structured training, targeted practice and institutional support in fostering physicians' communication skills and boosting patient-centered care.
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