PROGNOSIS

"The Art of Learning Medicine"

Appleton-Century-Crofts, NYC, l974

May H. Lesser

The professor put his third year students at ease by initially explaining about the correct way to place x-ray films in the view box. "Be careful to place the film right side up and the upper edge of the film in the frame holder." He then became serious, and asked one of the students to come forward and locate a shadow on the film that appeared to be a pulmonary metastasis. He asked the young man what he would say to this thirty-nine-year old woman with eight children, if he were seated across the desk from her and he had all the lab reports and films and case history read. "How should you tell a patient ‘bad news’? That she has a mass in her chest which may be cancer?" The student could not answer---neither could anyone else.