Upon receiving the diagnosis of an incurable disease and experiencing the threat or reality of losses inherent to this new condition, patients and their families experience a crisis, going through certain phases or psychological states to which the health professional must be alert in order to guide them and meet their needs. With the currently increasing demand and supply of palliative care, this study aims to present a brief review of Brazilian and foreign literature regarding communication in the transition from curative care to palliative care in oncology. A bibliographical survey was conducted and articles were analyzed from the SciELO and Medline databases from 2006 to 2013, using the keywords: Palliative care and Breaking bad news. In total, thirty-two studies deemed relevant to the topic were found and included. Of those, twenty-four were used and subdivided into the following categories: communication skills training, workshops, studies on the quality of communication, and protocols for communication in palliative care.
Palliative Care; Medical Education; Communication in Health Care
