Do you ever wonder why some oncologists are so bright and cheerful and optimistic with their patients while others are negative, discouraging and sometimes downright frightening. I call these others, “Play it safe doctors”. Their patients very rarely win because the doctor is afraid to take a chance. They want to play a no-lose game! If they are correct, and generally a patient will fulfill the physicians prognosis, they were right. If the patient does get better, they are a hero. Either way they win.
The optimistic oncologist will generally help more patients but when one fails, the patient and family feel the physician let them down and can even blame them. It takes a lot more courage to be optimistic! And it takes a lot more work, also. The negative doctor can treat the patient any way and they will come out right. Maybe the patient loses but the physician is right. The positive doctor must do research to find the latest and best treatment for this specific case to ensure that the favorable prognosis has the best chance of succeeding.
When I go into a business venture that someone else will manage, I want that individual to have a financial stake in the operation. I want that person to gain if it does well and to lose if it doesn’t. And I’m only dealing with money there. If I’m risking my life on the treatment I’m going to receive, I would prefer a physician who makes an investment of his commitment to successfully treat me.
We know three factors:
- There is no kind of cancer for which there is no treatment.
- There is no kind of cancer from which some people have not been cured.
- Cancer is the most curable of all chronic diseases.
We believe mental attitude is a factor in recovering from cancer. That is not to say that if a person believes they will get well, they will. But it seems that if a person believes they will die from their cancer, there is very little chance of their recovering, no matter how treatable their cancer is. With the fact that a patient will tend to fulfill the physician’s prognosis, it makes sense to find an oncologist who believes you can be successfully treated.
The most important single thing any cancer patient can do to insure recovery is to make a commitment to do everything possible to help themselves. One of the principal things is to find a qualified physician who believes you can be successfully treated.