Presentation Description: Every year, approximately 100 patients and their families are informed of the diagnosis of a pediatric brain tumor in Ontario.  This is the second most common malignant disease in childhood and although cure is more frequent than ever before, there are often lifelong disabilities and consequences of their treatments.  Affected children, their families, and healthcare workers will experience this tragic diagnosis each in their own way.  Does it matter how the bad news is communicated?  Is there a right balance between information, realistic expectations, and hope?  What factors promote coping in children, their families, and healthcare workers? This workshop identified unique aspects of disclosure in neuro-oncology, offered opportunities for role- play, and aimed to offer healthcare workers new avenues to approach this difficult task in their own and in their patients’ families’ best interests.

Workshop Facilitators:

Ute Bartels, MD
Assistant Professor
University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
Staff Physician
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON

Cindy van Halderen, BASc, MSW, RSW
Paediatric Oncology Social Worker
McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON