Lies and Pain: Patients and Caregivers in the “Conspiracy of Silence”

Abstract

Consequences of the awareness of approaching death have been studied mainly in relation to patients. Much less attention has been paid to the role of family members. The article describes the tragic consequences that concealing the prognosis and not telling the truth to patients have on family relations in Italy. For this purpose, the author recounts the story of the 6 months of illness that preceded his father's death from cancer.