I appreciate "The Cancer Survivor's Prescription for Living," but it somehow doesn't seem to live up to its name. It resembles a summary of a patient's medical chart and seems far removed from the idea of seeing the patient as a whole person. A true "prescription" for living would focus not only on managing adverse effects and deciding when the next round of tests will be done, but also on the patient's priorities. Nurses should ask patients what matters to them, what their goals and fears are. If we want to focus on improving a patient's life, we must look at the patient's whole life.

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 12 and she was 39. Seeing how important nurses were in promoting the well-being of my entire family made me decide to become a nurse.

Gabrielle Hall

San Francisco