San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
Image courtesy of NCI, Bill Branson - photographer
Here’s a little lesson in semantics for physicians, courtesy of a breast cancer patient advocate. During the Q and A session following one of the presentations in the main hall, a patient advocate went up to the mike and pointed out to the speaker and all of her colleagues in the room that the patients had not, in fact, failed the treatment. Rather, the treatment had failed the patients.
Just semantics? That depends on which side of the physician-cancer patient equation you’re on.
—Kerri Wachter
EGMN: Notes from the Road 