A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Medical Oncology reveals that patients who have had end-of-life discussions with their doctor report better deaths than those who have not. The study involved 332 cancer patients who eventually died; just over one-third recalled having end-of-life discussions with their doctors.

Compared with the patients who did not have end-of-life discussions, those who did:

• Were 1.6 times more likely to access hospice care in time to receive it's benefits,
• Were 3 times more likely to complete a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order,
• Were twice as likely to complete advance directives,
• Were no more likely to report symptoms of depression, and
• Were no more likely to report anxiety, fear, or worry when asked.

Some doctors have a hard time discussion end-of-life issues with their patients. They may fear extinguishing a patients hope or giving information that a patient doesn't want.

What does this mean to you? If you want all the information you can get on your illness and your prognosis, you may need to make the first move and initiate open, honest discussions with your physicians if they haven't done so already. It's important to take control of your own care and to have loved ones acting as advocates.

You can find more information and tips on taking charge of your medical care from Trish Torrey, About.com's guide to Patient Empowerment.

_{Source: American Society of Clinical Oncology 44th Annual Meeting, Chicago, May 30-June 2, 2008.}