If very many cures are suggested for any illness, that means it is incurable.
Translated from the Russian by Kathleen Cook
It turns out we can't save people from themselves. We just treat 'em. Treat that kid with a respiratory problem and when he comes back with cancer, go ahead and treat that.
— Medicine has made some progress in the last 20 years.
— Maybe technology is better now — but you still can't cure cancer or HIV.
— Yes, there will always be an illness we can't cure.
«Statistics show» who... who cares, what statistic's showing? Look at medicine. 80% of people, with pancreatic cancer, die within 5 years, 95% of appendectomies, occur with zero complications. But... we both know pancreatic cancer patient that lived, and appendix patients that unfortunately... passed. Statistics mean nothing to the individual. You're either gonna be a good parent to that kid, or you're not. I mean, hell, your parents were divorcing, and somehow you managed to become a relatively successful doctor.
There was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well.
The point is, we have to treat the patient as well as the disease.
— I mean, okay, my mom... I don't know. She's a crazy person. She just worries all day every day. And honestly it annoys the shit out of me. It's way too much. And it's not helpful and I can't talk to her. I don't call her back.
— It's a problem. So she's got this husband that can't talk to her and this son that won't?
— Yeah, I guess.
— Makes you kind of a dick.