Fear of death may push doctors and patients toward unnecessary aggressive cancer care

This study investigated whether making doctors and patients think about death (mortality salience) influences their choice of cancer treatments. Researchers surveyed 746 urologists and patients with urological cancers, asking some to answer questions about death and others about dental care, then presented them with treatment scenarios. The goal was to see if this unconscious fear leads to more aggressive treatment decisions, which could contribute to harmful overtreatment.