The Whole Truth . . .

Should cancer victims be told the truth? Many doctors have snap answers to this question, but Otis Bowen, a general practitioner in the little Indiana town of Bremen (pop. 2,664), asked his patients what their answer would be if they ever got cancer. Last week Dr. Bowen was busy mailing out his findings to fellow physicians who wanted to know the patient's point of view. Among 477 patients (all white, but well divided as to age, sex, educational background and economic position). Dr. Bowen found:

P: 96 1/2% want to know if they have cancer.

ae 88 1/2% want close relatives to be told, too.

ae 81% believe it is impossible to fool a cancer victim for long.

Main reasons for wanting the doctor to be frank: "The shock of knowing wears off quicker than the uncertainty of continual worry and wonder"; "I like to face facts as they are--not live in a false security."

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