No surgeon can observe and treat many patients with cancer without realizing the tremendous emotional impact of the word "cancer" itself upon its victims. Major nonmalignant disorders, regardless of the associated mortality rate, seldom, if ever, evoke the same quality of anxiety as that produced by cancer. This anxiety is an inherent feature of the disease, and is a vital consideration in the total care of these patients. The modern surgeon who is genuinely interested in giving patients with cancer the most effective treatment possible should possess, in addition to surgical knowledge and skill, a familiarity not only with the uses and limitations of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but also with the more common psychological problems with which these patients are confronted. An understanding of even the elementary principles of psychotherapy would help us to make better use of that nebulous quality called the "art of medicine" and thus to afford