Ethical Considerations and Equipoise in Cancer Surgery

• Published in: Indian journal of surgical oncology Vol. 15; no. Suppl 3; pp. 363 - 373
• Main Authors: Vakili-Ojarood, Mohammad, Naseri, Amirhosein, Shirinzadeh-Dastgiri, Ahmad, Saberi, Ali, HaghighiKian, Seyed Masoud, Rahmani, Amirhossein, Farnoush, Nazila, Nafissi, Nahid, Heiranizadeh, Naeimeh, Antikchi, Mohamad Hossein, Narimani, Nima, Atarod, Mohammad Mehdi, Yeganegi, Maryam, Neamatzadeh, Hossein
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Review Article; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Robotic surgery; Ethics; Autonomy; Artificial intelligence; Equipoise; Cancer surgery
• ISSN: 0975-7651; 0976-6952
• DOI: 10.1007/s13193-024-02023-8

The changing landscape of cancer surgery requires ongoing consideration of ethical issues to ensure patient-centered care and fair access to treatments. With technological advancements and the global expansion of surgical interventions, healthcare professionals must navigate complex ethical dilemmas related to patient autonomy, informed consent, and the impact of new technologies on the physician–patient relationship. Additionally, ethical principles and decision-making in oncology, especially in the context of genetic predisposition to breast cancer, highlight the importance of integrating patient knowledge, preferences, and alignment between goals and treatments. As global surgery continues to grow, addressing ethical considerations becomes crucial to reduce disparities in access to surgical interventions and uphold ethical duties in patient care. Furthermore, the rise of digital applications in healthcare, such as digital surgery, requires heightened awareness of the unique ethical issues in this domain. The ethical implications of using artificial intelligence (AI) in robotic surgical training have drawn attention to the challenges of protecting patient and surgeon data, as well as the ethical boundaries that innovation may encounter. These discussions collectively emphasize the complex ethical issues associated with surgical innovation and underscore the importance of upholding ethical standards in the pursuit of progress in the field. In this study, we thoroughly analyzed previous scholarly works on ethical considerations and equipoise in the field of oncological surgery. Our main focus was on the use of AI in this specific context.