The Empathy Filter: Why We Choose Our Words Carefully
When a family member is diagnosed with cancer, the words you encounter matter enormously. We designed the Empathy Filter - a set of principles and technical guardrails - to make sure every word OncoKind outputs supports you rather than frightens you.
What the Empathy Filter blocks
Survival statistics
Survival statistics and prognosis percentages (these are population averages, not predictions about your loved one)
Fear-based language
Fear-based language ("aggressive," "devastating," "terminal" used without clinical necessity)
Deterministic framing
Deterministic framing ("this means..." / "you will...")
Medical jargon
Medical jargon used without explanation
What the Empathy Filter ensures
Next steps
Every diagnosis explanation ends with a next step, not a dead end
Biomarkers
Biomarker explanations focus on what they mean for treatment options, not what they predict
Preparatory tone
Language is always preparatory: "here's what to ask your doctor" rather than "here's what this means for you"
OncoKind's Empathy Filter is not just a content policy. It is a commitment to every family who comes to us in one of the hardest moments of their lives.
Why this matters
Research consistently shows that how medical information is framed shapes how families cope, communicate with their care team, and make decisions. We take that seriously.
Want to learn more about why this is personal to us? Visit the founder story.