Autonomy versus paternalism in Latin America.

In this paper, Dr. Cherny beautifully reviews how to balance the patient's right to be adequately informed about his or her disease with the powerful cultural beliefs held in many parts of the world. This is certainly one of the most difficult tasks in the patient-oncologist relationship. The disclosure of prognostic information to terminally ill patients has emerged within the last 15 years as an important issue, given the greater demands for patient involvement in medical decision making, particularly in the United States.[1] With the evolving emphasis on individual autonomy and freedom, medical paternalism is no longer unquestioningly accepted by society as the principal mode of decision making in health care.[2]