individuals who reported poor social relationships, deepening

depression and pessimism when treatment failed, and according

to the authors, a desire to die, "a finding that often

reflects more conflict than acceptance" (Weisman & Worden,

1975, p. 71).

 Another study of the attitudes of patients with

advanced disease is reported by Achterberg and Lawlis (1977).

In this investigation, a group of 126 patients with a broad

range of diagnoses of different cancer types, 90% of which

were widely metastatic, were evaluated for both psychological

and blood chemistry variables. The psychological battery

included the MMPI, the Locus of Control, the Fundamental

Interpersonal Relations Orientation -- Behavior, the Bem Sex-

Role Inventory, the Profile of Mood States, and a projective

measure, Image-Ca. There was a limited follow-up period of

two months.

 According to the authors, psychological factors did

predict follow-up disease status. Blood chemistries

indicated no such relationship. The writers asserted that

patients who used a great deal of denial, saw their bodies as

having little ability to fight the disease, and expressed

significant dependencies on others were more likely to

receive a poor disease prognosis at two-month follow-up.

 This work is severely compromised by failure to control

for treatment and disease variables and by the inability to