Jose is a 62-year-old man who just had a needle biopsy of the pancreas showing adenocarcinoma. You run into his brother in the hall, and he begs you not to tell Jose because the knowledge would kill him even faster. A family conference to discuss the prognosis is already scheduled for later that afternoon. What is the best way for the doctor to handle the situation? a. The doctor should honor the request of the family member who is protecting his beloved brother from the bad news.
b. The doctor should tell Jose's brother that withholding information is not permitted under any circumstance.
c. Jose should withhold informing the patient about the pancreatic cancer because of the grave diagnosis.
d. The doctor should ask Jose how he wants to handle the information in front of the rest of the family, and allow for some family discussion time for this matter.