ABSTRACT
Physicians and sometimes surgeons invoke liaison psychiatry when faced with cancer phobic patients. The psychiatrist must be ready to offer help to any oncology patient who needs it because of functional or organic psychopathology, it is the staff of a cancer ward who really need support. Some patients puzzle the oncologists by the severity of their pain, weakness or incapacity for self-care. P. Maguire found that counselling per se before and after surgery was of no help to breast cancer patients, except that those needing psychiatric help were referred on and benefited in 88 per cent of cases. Several discussions are needed, during which the patient will indicate his readiness or otherwise to receive a definite diagnosis of cancer: he may never wish to know for certain. Psychiatric morbidity among lumpectomy patients at the Westminster Hospital in London is slight, temporary and usually associated with unrelated life events if it reaches clinical intensity.
