Ovarian cancer--unrealistic expectations.

Abstract

What happens if we physicians are motivated to say something hopeful that turns out not to be true? Will patients continue to believe us? Why should they? The answers to these questions vary with the circumstances, of course. Certainly, the stakes are high — trust and cherished social credibility. Consider, for example, the evolving story of new treatments for ovarian cancer. Public Perceptions As the poignant death of actress Gilda Radner showed, ovarian cancer is a terrible disease. The personal crusade of Gene Wilder, Radner's bereaved husband, to implore women to avoid needless death by undergoing screening tests, has drawn . . .