DEAR ABBY: Holding back truth is lying. Dr. Kilgore wrote that he doesn't believe patients should be told they are dying. The good doctor is a general surgeon, not a psychiatrist. Doctors are highly trained "mechanics" paid to correct physical problems and to keep patients informed at all times.
There have been horror stories about terminally ill patients who didn't have the chance to close out businesses or get their financial affairs in order because some physician failed to disclose the truth about the patient's chances of survival. The result was that the estates the patients had worked long and hard to build dwindled away from lack of attention.
Personally, I would be very annoyed if a doctor to whom I was paying good money didn't tell me the complete truth about my condition. A few malpractice cases given widespread publicity might go a long way to convince physicians not to play God. -- TELL ME THE TRUTH
DEAR TELL ME: I agree.