Home → Day-to-Day Matters → Talking to Your Family and Friends About Breast Cancer → Ask-the-Expert Conferences: Family, Friends, Relationships → September 2004: Family and Loved Ones → Delicate way of informing over the phone?

Delicate way of informing over the phone?

Page last modified on: September 24, 2008

Question from Website Question: What happens when you have to tell a loved one that you have breast cancer over the phone? Is there a delicate way of saying it?: Answer —Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W.: It's very interesting that many of the women we're hearing from tonight are so concerned with protecting those around them. The person going through this difficult journey is the one who gets to make the decisions, and she needs to come up with a way of revealing this information that feels good to her. Whenever we mention cancer, no matter how we do it, there's always some degree of shock and dismay, and you, as the patient, need to expect that your family will not take the news well. But before the call, you need to think about how you want to put it and how much you want to say.

On Wednesday, September 15, 2004, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Family and Loved Ones. Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W., author Marc Silver, and moderator Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about the issues surrounding family members and caregivers living with and caring for women affected by breast cancer.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Rosalind Kleban, L.C.S.W. is administrative supervisor for psychosocial programs at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Lauder Breast Center in New York City, where she leads weekly support groups for women with early and advanced breast cancer.

Marc Silver is the author of Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (And Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Beyond.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.