This is a review which aims to evaluate the use of the SPIKES protocol in Oncology. We selected articles written in English published in MED-LINE and CINAHL databases between 2005-2015, with the descriptors defined by the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): cancer, neoplasms, and the uncontrolled descriptor: SPIKES protocol. Six articles met the inclusion criteria and were fully analyzed; three thematic categories were established: aspects inherent to the health care professional; aspects related to the patient and aspects related to the protocol. The main effects of the SPIKES protocol can strengthen the links between health professionals and patients, and ensure the maintenance and quality of this relationship. The results indicate an important limiting factor for effective doctor-patient relationship; the lack of training provided to medical professionals for the communication of poor diagnoses, verified by the difficulty reported in this moment through interviews in the analyzed studies.