Bad news in oncology: How physician and patient talk about death and dyingwithout using those words

We focus on the socialization of patients to the process of death and dying by examining actual interactions among medical practitioners, patients, an d their family members. Our data consist of three medical interviews. In ea ch one, the oncologist delivers the news that the patient's cancer is no lo nger treatable. Although not stated, the implied message is that the patien t will soon die. Because, in these episodes, the same doctor is attempting to convey a similar message to three different patients, we can compare the ways in which the patients respond to the message and thus affect the deli very of the news. In various practical ways, both physician and patient exh ibit interactional caution in discussing death and dying.