Compassionate honesty.

Patients with cancer comprise 40%–100% of patients seen by those working in hospice and palliative medicine around the world. Consequently, the skills of oncologists in integrating palliative care and making appropriate referrals for hospice care have been a subject of intense interest since the inception of the field. Most are aware that oncologists routinely assist patients in making difficult decisions, at the time of initial cancer diagnosis and for months or years thereafter. Such discussions involve imparting the news of a new diagnosis of cancer or a recurrence, providing results of day-to-day tests or staging scans, and addressing prognosis. Typically, the most difficult discussions are those that address the lack of effective medical treatments. Although they are aware they should do this in a compassionate and sensitive manner, most had no specific training or feedback on how to do this. Yet, these are precisely the issues of most concern to those in hospice and palliative care. In recognition of these facts, the Journal of Clinical Oncology initiated a series written primarily by and for oncologists that addresses this area. Called, ‘‘The Art of Oncology,’’ the series aimed to publish direct and meaningful reflections to help oncologists in their practices. The Journal of Clinical Oncology is the most high-impact journal serving oncologists in the world; what it publishes is noticed. The readership of the series has been high. Professionals in palliative medicine will want to know of this series for at least three reasons: (1) it gives insight into how oncologists think about the issues; (2) it gives advice that oncologists have given to oncologists about how to deal with these issues; and (3) each can be used as a way to stimulate discussion with oncologists in your area on which to build better relationships.