“Eh – What type of cells are these – flourishing in the liver?” Cancer patients’ disclosure of existential concerns in routine hospital consultations

Advanced cancer poses a threat to all aspects of being, potentially causing existential suffering. We explore what kind of existential concerns patients with advanced cancer disclose during a routine hospital consultation, and how they communicate such concerns. We analyzed thirteen video-recorded hospital consultations involving adult patients with advanced cancer. The study has a qualitative and exploratory design, using procedures from microanalysis of face-to-face-dialogue. Nearly all patients disclosed how the illness experience included losses and threats of loss that are strongly associated with existential suffering, displaying uncertainty about future and insecurity about self and coping. Patients usually disclosed existential concerns uninvited, but they did so indirectly and subtly, typically hiding concerns in biomedical terms or conveying them with hesitation and very little emotion. Patients may have existential concerns they want to address, but they may be uncertain whether these are issues they can discuss with the physician. Health professionals should be attentive to underlying existential messages embedded in the patient's questions and concerns. Acknowledging these existential concerns provides an opportunity to briefly explore the patient's needs and may direct how the physician tailors information and support to promote coping, autonomy, and existential health.