Attitudes of physicians and medical students towards cancer and cancer patients

: We used the Cancer Attitude Survey (Haley-Blanchard) to investigate attitudes of general practitioners, oncologists in a cancer center, and medical students (during the second part of medical studies (DCEM), at the beginning and the end of a clinical course, and at the last examination ("Cliniques")) towards cancer and cancer patients. This CAS is designed to determine mainly attitudes on inner resources of patients to cope with cancer, value of early diagnosis, aggressive treatments and preparation for, and acceptance of death. There are significant differences between different groups, and for younger students between the beginning and the end of a clinical course in a cancer hospital. There are also differences between French and American doctors. In comparison with American, French mainly underestimate the inner resources of cancer patients while their attitudes are similar for early diagnosis and aggressive treatment. Such a survey is able to give objective data on present attitudes and also to examine how they change with time.