Susan was not her usual cheerful self. I could tell that something was not right in her world. When I asked her how things were going, tears came to her eyes, “My dad has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. He’s not a candidate for surgery, but he starts radiation treatments next week, and we’re hoping for the best. ”

Each time I saw Susan over the next several months, she reported on her dad’s condition. Initially, he seemed to do well-the size of his tumor decreased in response to the radiation and he generally felt pretty good. But his reprieve was short lived. Soon he began to experience progressive pain and weakness as the tumor resumed its growth. Less than nine months from the time of his diagnosis he died.

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