The growth of the senior population in Brazil and in the world poses new challenges for the health professionals, and among those, the increase of the number of chronic diseases, especially cancer. Within the practice of his/her work, the nurse faces countless situations that generate dilemmas and ethical questions that involve the patient and/or his/her family. We aim at contemplating the senior's right of knowing his/her diagnosis and the respect to his/her autonomy. Such reflection is considered significant because the action of taking care, intrinsic in the nursing actions, should be ruled by ethical attitudes and in respect to the patient's right in knowing his/her diagnosis.
Personal autonomy; Aged; Oncologic nursing; Patient rights