Table 4.

The acknowledged patient

Pat: only ( ) (.) why have the [laser

Wfe: [Hah hah

Pat: if I’m going to finish up having the other one as well

Nur: Because there’s a good chance that you’re going to get away without having the radiotherapy [and the other

Pat: [Right

Nur: thing that they could do is that they can go back in and take another little piece out with the laser…erm, it depends what happens when it goes over to the lab and when they look

Pat: [(What it is)

Nur [if it’s just a few tiny little cells they might just go in and take another tiny piece with the laser

Pat: [Oh right

Nur: [(and it‐) and you may not need the radiotherapy after all

Pat: I see

Nur: erm, so, it’s not‐ it’s not a certainty that you’re going to end up having the radiotherapy as well, it’s a small chance

Pat: Yeah

Nur: [So

Wfe: [O‐

Nur: Go on

The patient’s wife wonders if remedial radiotherapy would be the ‘full course’ and the nurse explains that this would depend on laboratory results.

Nur: So (Pause)

Pat: That’s fine.