Facial plastic surgeon John Rhee, MD, MPH, sees many patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). Struck by his patients’ varied responses to the cancer and the defects it caused, he noticed that some people minimized it, whereas others thought it was the worst experience of their lives.
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May 2007Wondering why, in 2001 he decided to search the literature. However, there was very little written about this most common cancer of humankind and how people feel about it, he said.
His colleague, Marcy Neuburg, MD, succinctly pointed out that focusing on quality of life is important to patients because it reminds us that it isn’t necessarily how long you live, but how well you live.