Breaking the news

I have an elderly male patient with lung cancer. I'm following up on his progression. Today, when i was at the ward to visit him, i saw a doctor breaking the news to him and went on to check other patients.

I went to talk to him to find out how he's feeling. Truly, he was not taking it well enough. Who would?!? He was denying those facts and repeatedly said he's been very healthy all these while...

Then came another doc. This time, he was more skillful and caring. Took time to talk to the patient and adviced him on what he can do.

Then, i realised i too treated the patient as the first doctor. I used to looked at his X-ray and say, "Ooh, he has lung cancer. There's this mass here and opacity there..." But, when i heard the doctor breaking the news to him,i felt for him and was guilty of my lack of realisation that the patient is not just another case on the X-ray.

Got 2 things i have to learn.
1. How to break bad news to patients.
2. To remember to see patients as humans, and not just another case of disease.