Truthtelling in Nursing Care

truthtelling in the aspect of the pt disease and the family, i have come across a couple of situations that i myself as a nurse have found to not be what i would see as correct. i work on an oncology unit and here often the family dictates to the nurses and the doctor to not tell the patient of their own diseas-- cancer. this seems wrong to me. the person is in the hospital undergoing many treatments and tests and doesn't know what exactly for and the risks. and a few of these patients of whom i had to care for were oriented. this puts a burden on the nursing, being unable to teach the patient. on one occasion a nurse had mentioned to the patient about their cancer in a way that one would while on duty, the family was furious that the patient found out. the patient knowing did not change the patients status or their mental state. sure she may have become somwhat depressed but the pt was more mad at the family for holding vital info from her. in this situation i as a nurse believe it is the pts right to know their own diagnosis no matter what their son or daughter may say.