Advance directives in cancer care: A psycho-oncological perspective on legal reform in China
Abstract
Background: Cancer patients face severe psychological challenges, manifesting as anxiety, depression and emotional distress throughout their treatment choices, palliative care transitions and end-of-life situations. These psychosocial burdens become worse because they cannot control the medical procedures which affect them. Advance Directives (ADs) serve as essential instruments that protect patient control of their medical decisions, minimize decisional uncertainty and guarantee medical care follows the patient’s individual worth and personal values. Objective: This paper evaluates the relationship between ADs and psycho-oncology through evidence showing their success in decreasing psychological distress in cancer patients and their families. The article examines how ADs function in specific cancer-related situations, such as end-of-life care, palliative treatment, mental health crises and cognitive decline from terminal illness. Methods: The research examines international ADs through policy review and a framework evaluation across American, German and UK systems, assessing their effects on patient care quality together with ethical and emotional outcomes. Regarding literature selection, this article uses “Advance Directives”, “Psycho-Oncology” and “Autonomy” as keywords in Google Scholar and Web of Science Core Collection for document search. The author verified the abstract and keywords of all searched articles and included only articles that are related to the topic. Findings: The absence of nationwide AD legislation in China creates psychological distress for cancer patients because families and clinicians frequently disregard patient choices, which results in moral distress and conflicts. Conclusion: The implementation of ADs represents a vital necessity to enhance the quality of psychological care for patients with cancer within China. A culturally appropriate AD framework would enable cancer patients to gain control while decreasing their psychosocial distress and following international human rights standards. The author advocates the implementation of ADs within psychosocial assessments and cancer care protocols to overcome patient autonomy barriers in both systemic and cultural contexts.
Copyright (c) 2026 Man Teng Iong
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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