Abstract
80 patients suffering of different kind of cancers were interviewed in order to study their psychological reactions to their disease. No choice was performed concerning age, sex, type of cancer, variety of therapy or stage of evolution. The following conclusions are proposed: cancer has a very special psychological impact on the patients; its name is rarely mentioned but both patient and doctor refer to it in an atmosphere of deep anxiety. The patient tries to protect himself against this anxiety by the means of various types of neurotic-like processes: pseudo-rationalisation, magical thoughts concerning the origin of the cancer, feeling of guilt, mythomania, shifting of anxiety in the course of time or space, delirious imaginary life and above all blunt denial of the cancer. Doctors must be aware of these reactions for improving their psychological relationships with their patients and help them to face their disease and their death. Many other problems are dealt with in this paper namely: relationships of the patient with the family, the nurses, psychological meaning of the cancer oriented hospitals, the ‘truth’ which is possible or, not, flight of the doctors in a world of technicity etc.
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