Journal of health communication
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Concerns have been raised about the quality of life and health care received by cancer patients at the end of life (EOL). Many patients die with pain and other distressing symptoms inadequately controlled, receiving burdensome, aggressive care that worsens quality of life and limits patient exposure to palliative care, such as hospice. ⋯ These results highlight the importance of communication in determining EOL cancer care and suggest that communication disparities may contribute to Black-White differences in EOL care. We review the pertinent literature and discuss areas for future research.