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The Difficult Patient

Have you ever had a patient with open disdain for his oncologist that increased with each visit; who was offended by the physician's expression of concern, when what he wanted was cheering up? How about the patient who flung furniture around the office in a fit of rage? Or the pseudoexpert who continually lectured staff about their professional shortcomings in providing cancer care?

These incidents may sound like hypothetical examples from a hospital seminar, but they are not. They are case histories from oncology practices across the country. And, if anecdotal reports in the medical literature are any indication, the . . . [Click for More]