In this audio reading, we hear the perspectives of a patient, the spouse of another patient, and the oncologist who cared for both patients. They share their thoughts on terminal cancer, doctor-patient communication, and what changes when you know the end is near. The article, titled "What really matters at the end: perspectives from a patient, a family member and an oncologist," was written by Penny Nelson, Rachel Koven and Dr. Christopher Booth (Department of Oncology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ont.). Their Humanities Encounters article is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.Full article: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.171285-----------------------------------For more stories like this one, get your copy of CMAJ’s Encounters Book. This anthology of prose and poetry of some 100 Canadian authors including Drs. David Goldbloom, Shane Neilson, Allan Peterkin and Monica Kidd, has been specially curated and includes a study guide. https://shop.cma.ca/products/encounters-----------------------------------To request a transcript of this podcast, contact cmajgroup@cmaj.caSubscribe to CMAJ Podcasts on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. You can also follow us directly on our SoundCloud page or you can visit www.cmaj.ca/page/multimedia/podcasts.-----------------------------------Transition music: Friday Morning by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100224Artist: http://incompetech.com/