Bob Riter

Don’t be an Obnoxious Patient

Posted June 30th, 2014

I sometimes hear people say that the best way to get good health care is to be obnoxious. By this, they mean that you should demand that the doctor see you immediately, or that you should demand that your needs be met first. Let me give you some advice: Don’t be obnoxious. It always works […]


Bob Riter

Decision Making with Cancer

Posted June 16th, 2014

Everyone diagnosed with cancer has decisions to make. What type of treatment? Where to have treatment? Should the cancer even be treated? Decision Making with Cancer.


Bob Riter

Personality and Cancer

Posted June 2nd, 2014

Aside from inappropriately blaming the person with cancer for causing her cancer, it suggests that cancer is a result of one’s thought-processes or personality. That’s a myth.


Bob Riter

A Cancer Pity Party

Posted May 15th, 2014

A woman with cancer recently told me that she was planning a pity party. She explained that, “Cancer just sucks and I want to get together with my friends to acknowledge that it sucks.” Sounds reasonable. Those of us with cancer tend to put on brave faces. But there are times that we grieve for […]


Bob Riter

Blended Families and Cancer

Posted May 8th, 2014

Communication within a family after a cancer diagnosis can be complicated, particularly for newer blended families and cancer.


Bob Riter

Some Patients Can Face Boredom

Posted April 21st, 2014

A young man with cancer recently told me that he felt bored. That’s not something I often hear from people who are dealing with cancer, but I know what he meant. Some patients can face boredom.


Bob Riter

How Old is too Old to Treat Cancer?

Posted February 28th, 2014

The older you are, the more likely it is that you’ll be diagnosed with cancer. The average age at diagnosis is now 66 and it’s increasingly common for people in their late 80s and even older to consider cancer treatment.


Bob Riter

The Vivid Images of Cancer

Posted January 13th, 2014

People with cancer often form mental images of the disease or its treatment…They visualized killing off the cancer cells one-by-one until they were all gone.


Bob Riter

New Year’s Wishes

Posted December 30th, 2013

I like to give myself a magic wand at this time of the year to grant wishes to those affected by cancer. Here are my wishes for 2014.


Bob Riter

Nontraditional Cancer Therapies

Posted December 4th, 2013

People often fall into two camps regarding the usefulness of nontraditional cancer therapies. Some people are irrationally exuberant in their support of these therapies.