Perhaps there is no typical experience of cancer. In Britain, one in three people now get it and, as life expectancy goes up, the figure is set to rise to one in two (as it already is in parts of Scotland). But there may be no typical situation because there are over 250 different types of cancer, each with its particular history and genetic profile. There are, however, several common circumstances that a patient faces, among them the mind-numbing field of choice and yet more problems to confront. Coping with any particular type of the illness is a traumatic experience, as well as a family and social problem. When one is faced with this life-threatening disease the first question is often the one that Maggie asked: "Well, how long have I got?" Or, "Will I live?' The aim of the centres is to transform such questions into the will to live, or live better: Self-transformation is at their heart.