‘Me doctor, you patient’ – can’t we do better than that?
While holidaying on the Greek island of Ithaca, where the Odyssey ended, I met a man of my age and my country who had just finished his treatment for colorectal cancer. He now lives on [more]
doctor-patient relationship
The letter to which I couldn’t reply
With all the investigations, imaging and testing involved in personalising treatments, it can be hard to remember to listen to what the patient is saying. One doctor keeps a letter with him as a permanent [more]
What counts as a successful’ outcome?
Every patient wants to be cured. But a culture that defines success as cure’ condemns many patients and doctors to failure. What does treatment ‘success’ mean in cancer? Does it only mean curing the cancer? [more]
Patients pay a price for spending cuts
Austerity measures brought in to tackle the debt crisis are affecting frontline healthcare services in many countries, particularly in the complex, expensive field of oncology. Cancer World asked readers to share their first-hand experiences. Doctors [more]