Patients are to be respected as autonomous, self-governing persons with the right to express their needs and emotions and make informed decisions in their own best interests. To make informed decisions, patients must be provided with information that is understandable, sufficient, and applicable to their circumstances. Effective communication is essential in order to benefit persons with cancer and to respect their autonomy. This communication rests on trust, concern, mutual respect, honesty, and self-awareness. Terminally ill patients are to receive continued health care, support, respect, and assurance.
Collegial teamwork is essential for attending to the total human dimensions of cancer care.
Teamwork is sustained by caregiver collegiality, which is based on a mutual understanding of and respect for the individual and professional contributions of colleagues. The ability of health-care professionals to care for patients and those close to the patient depends on caregivers attending to their own personal, psychological, social, moral, and spiritual needs. All research should contribute to, not detract from, beneficial and respectful care of individuals with cancer. The Texas Cancer Council and Institute for the Medical Humanities, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston 1994.