Language minimizing adverse events in abstracts ‘harmful,’ can affect patient care

Use of subjective minimizing terminology, such as “safe” and “tolerable,” when discussing treatment-related toxicities occurs frequently at oncology and hematology conferences, according to a study published in Journal of Cancer Policy.
More than 15% of published abstracts from ASCO, ASH and European Society for Medical Oncology annual meetings used subjective minimizing language from 2019-2021, and nearly 9% of those included grade 5 adverse events.
“It becomes a culture that is harmful,” Samer Al Hadidi, MD, MS, FACP, assistant professor and

Use of subjective minimizing terminology, such as “safe” and “tolerable,” when discussing treatment-related toxicities occurs frequently at oncology and hematology conferences, according to a study published in Journal of Cancer Policy.
More than 15% of published abstracts from ASCO, ASH and European Society for Medical Oncology annual meetings used subjective minimizing language from 2019-2021, and nearly 9% of those included grade 5 adverse events.
“It becomes a culture that is harmful,” Samer Al Hadidi, MD, MS, FACP, assistant professor and