ABSTRACT
The problem of the psychological impact of cancer upon the patient and his family is but a fragment of a much broader problem, that of the attitude of human beings to the reality of death. It is probable that one important reason for this is inherent in the fact that most people regard cancer as a foreign agent, an alien thing within the body which, if neglected, inexorably destroys the human being who harbors it. Cancers vary enormously in their origins and life histories. The location and type of the cancer, its relative benignancy or malignancy, and the stage at which it is discovered, all have a bearing upon the question. The personality of the doctor has a great bearing on his ability to discuss the diagnosis of cancer with a patient.
