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James E. Goodnight, MD, PhD
University of California, Davis Medical Center
Sacramento

Arch Surg. 1998;133:966.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In a challenging disease setting at a major cancer center, Dr D'Angelica and colleagues in psychiatry and surgery present data from a survey tool indicating that patients chiefly identify the senior surgeon as their essential source of information and emotional support. I am unable to resist 2 untestable observations: (1) a good psychiatrist is worth his or her weight in gold; (2) despite my self-perception (undoubtedly inflated) that I am a sensitive physician, I am continually surprised by in-depth insights good psychiatrists elicit from patients.

Did we know a priori what D'Angelica et al have told us? Probably, or at least we should have. Good literature has informed us, if not our own experience. Tennessee Williams in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof presents the painful image of a physician abdicating this support role, a poignant message not to be missed. An affirmation by objective . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Surgeon-Patient Communication in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer
Michael D'Angelica, Kathy Hirsch, Howard Ross, Steven Passik, and Murray F. Brennan
Arch Surg. 1998;133(9):962-966.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT