[Verified Answer]: Rosoff (2017), in a commentary in the…

Rosoff (2017), in a commentary in the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics, discusses the case of a 13-year-old patient (Adam) diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma (a cancerous tumor that grows in bones and surrounding soft tissue). The dilemma faced by the attending physician and medical student caring for Adam involved deciding what information this teen should have about the affects of his treatment. Essentially, this teen needed to be treated immediately and the treatment was likely to cause infertility. Additionally, Adam might not have time to use a sperm bank because of the necessity to start treatment immediately. The parents clearly stated that they did not want Adam to be told about this treatment’s side effect. This should be a clear and uncontested decision to honor the parents’ preferences but the medical student (Jenny) while talking to Adam hears Adam say, “I can’t wait to have a big family one day.” This medical student discusses the possibility that Adam could suffer psychologically if he realizes later he was uninformed about the treatment’s infertility risk. Answer the following question: Does the patient need to be informed of the risk and have a right to know about the side effect of the treatment?