Patient Notification and Cancer in Russia and the Soviet Union

[R R]

Hi Brian,

I am not sure if this will be helpful at all, but it may provide some
interesting context. As I happen to have just read a fascinating collection
of essays, one of which deals with this particular issue, except in
relation to the U.S. and Germany in the mid-20th century (the essay,
"Oncomotions: Experience and Debates in West Germany and the U.S. after
1945" by Bettina Hitzer, is in *Science and Emotions After 1945: A
Transatlantic Perspective*, Frank Biess and Daniel M. Gross, eds.), I
thought I would mention it.

Hitzer points out that, particularly during the 1950s in West Germany as
well as in the U.S. the dominant policy in relation to notifying the
patient of having been diagnosed with cancer was that of "benign deception"
as she cites two American studies in 1953 and 1961 which indicated that the
"majority of U.S. physicians did not tell their patients the truth about
their cancer diagnosis" and/or relied on euphemisms.

In West Germany, the president of the German Society for Fighting Cancer
argued against even publishing statistical data reporting that more than
80% of cancer patients did not overcome it.

The rationale for this was based on the strong emotional association
between cancer and hopelessness, which also relates to issues of the
patient's quality of life, mental well-being, in addition to physicians'
self-perception of "being in control of the situation."

Hitzer provides careful insights and arguments for understanding this in
terms of "changing emotional regimes," especially in relation to the
changing perspectives of science and medicine throughout the 20th century,
and while her study didn't include an examination of and comparison with
similar practices in the Soviet Union at the same time, her work might
provide some added perspective. Her citations include many German sources,
particular from the mid-20th century, some of which might be worth looking
into for possible coverage of Soviet practices. It is possible that her
other work might also offer some insight, especially as the question of
transparency in doctor-patient relationships, specifically in the context
of cancer diagnoses, is a major focal area of her work.

(I know it's kind of a long-winded answer, and I apologize for not having
anything that speaks directly to your specific question. But I hope it can
at least be of some interest.)

rosibel



On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 8:24 PM, Brian Hayden <bkhayden1990 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear SEELANGers,
>
> I've heard from a few different sources that in the Soviet Union doctors
> sometimes (often? almost always?) would not notify the patient if they
> found cancer. Was this official policy or a professional custom? Did it
> apply only to cancer, or to other diseases that would likely end up being
> fatal? What was the exact rationale behind / philosophical underpinning of
> this move?
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Brian Hayden
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