A 65-Year-Old Man Is Brought to a Busy Community Hospital's

A 65-year-old man is brought to a busy community hospital's inpatient ward for worsening shortness of breath during the previous several days. He smoked for 40 years and was first diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation and treated as such. On admission, a chest x-ray reveals a substantial hilar opacity, and a CT scan confirms the existence of a 4-cm mass in the right hilum. During the informed consent procedure for bronchoscopy with biopsy, the patient asks, "Doc, please don't tell me what they discover, because if it's cancer, I don't want to know." Which of the following responses to this patient's request is most appropriate?

A) "Hearing you have a lung mass is upsetting; perhaps take some time to think about whether you really want to undergo this procedure."
B) "I can't imagine how stressful this is for you, but if the results do show cancer, it would be important for you to make a decision about treatment."
C) "I won't share the results of the procedure if that is your preference, although I would like to understand how you came to that decision."
D) "It's normal to try and avoid hearing bad news; however, the uncertainty of not knowing your diagnosis can cause even more anxiety."
E) "You can choose to not hear your results, but you should appoint someone in your family to make decisions on your behalf."