Death awareness, feelings of uncertainty, and hope in advanced lung cancer patients: can they coexist?

Abstract

Patients diagnosed with stage-IV lung cancer are forced to quickly transition from a cancer-free and perhaps healthy life to one of serious illness, uncertainty, and anticipation of a premature death. Health professionals may be too quick to label the patient as being in denial if they hope for healing. Hope may not be lost when reality is accepted. Studies have investigated what it is like to live with awareness of impending death. Using a patient case study this paper discusses the concepts of death awareness, uncertainty, and hope. The aim is to provide a deeper understanding of how these seemingly antithetical emotions can coexist to the benefit of the patient, and to provide clinicians with practical considerations for supporting patients' hope throughout their terminal illness.