Discussion: Is it advisable to talk with cancer patients about difficulties, pain, frustration, doubts, different treatments, and the fear of death?

Although I was not diagnosed with cancer (I did not perform any cancer tests), acute liver cirrhosis, when the body is in a state of advanced decay, is not essentially different from cancer. The photos in the gallery are proof of this.

If the patient is interested, it is advisable to have open and frank conversations with them. The patient's desire to open up strongly depends mainly on the patient's personality and the culture in which they live. In my Chinese culture, talking about illness and death is unacceptable. I wanted to tell my family and friends about my unique experiences in long-term care in China. Still, my ex-wife and the rest of the immediate family did not want to listen, claiming that it was an unpleasant topic of conversation. If the patient wishes to tell, there is no reason not to discuss it openly with the patient. The dialogue in itself relieves tension and is essential for the patient. Is the discourse about diseases pleasant? Certainly not! But it is part of life.