ACTIVE LISTENING TO CANCER-PATIENTS STORIES

Approximately two thirds of all Dutch cancer patients have severe emot ional problems shortly after their change from the treatment regime in to the regime of medical controls. Half of them even need professional support. It is, therefore, important that a professional listens with empathy to the patient's version of the illness story. Story telling helps to overcome the existential crisis of being a cancer patient; it is an essential step in the revalidation process. Themes and open que stions which structure the communication are suggested in this article . (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.