attempted, or because they know that life expectancy is an imperfect estimate and could be both shorter or longer than expected.

They may feel pressure from family members to give pleasant news or to preserve the false appearance of hope. They often want to avoid the emotional outbursts that are associated with people understanding the medical situation accurately. For example, they will use death-denying language such as "She has a life-limiting diagnosis" - a term that makes the inevitable death seem