Box 4.

: Good news consultation

• Mr K and his wife look nervously at the consultant who is studying the new x ray pictures, comparing them with previous ones.
• “Marvellous,” says the consultant, turning towards Mr and Mrs K, “Complete remission! Look, I'll show you. This is where the abnormality was.” He points to a white spot in an old picture and moves on to another one. “And that's how it looked halfway through treatment. Half of the tumour had disappeared by then, and now there's nothing to be seen. Your lungs are clear.” He looks cheerfully at Mr K, who gets up and bends over to look at the pictures himself.
• “Nothing more to be seen,” says Mr K, and to his wife, “Can you see that, dear?”
• She nods happily.
• “So it's looking good?” he asks.
• “Very good,” says the consultant, “Mr K, if I didn't know you, I wouldn't know where the abnormality had been. There is nothing to be seen in the last picture. Of course, there could always be a little cell left somewhere that we cannot see in the picture. That's always possible. Only time will tell.”