In what stage or type of cancer is it sensible to refuse treatment?
My niece and my brother died after undergoing painful, expensive treatment.Is it not better to opt for some palliative medicine instead ?just avoid a painful death.Sometimes I feel the medical community is giving false hopes
Cancer - 3 Answers
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1 :
When cancer has spread (metastasized) across the body, then it seems sensible to stop treatment and focus on making the patient comfortable. Sometimes hope is all a dying patient has, and so maybe doctors treat in order to keep that hope alive. However, a patient has the right to stop treatment at any time they want. It is part of a patient's right in America. So long as they are right of mind and capable of making informed decisions, then they have the right to stop treatment, even if it is against doctors' advice. Patient must be over 18 to do this.
2 :
My son has been two and a half years fighting his stage 4 disease . . . other than treatment , he has been totally asymptomatic. What is essential to realize is that every cancer patient is different and no one else can make the determination about treatment. Will his extended treatment lead to cure. There have been known cures with his type of cancer, though rare. Does he have a chance? Yes, he does. And as long as he has a chance for a cure than we will pursue treatment. If there comes a time when he no longer wishes to do this and quality of life is effected, than we will reaccess the situation. You do not give up on young people. You give them every chance at life that you can. But it is a very personal decision. I do know a 21 year old man on hospice right now because he was just tired of treatment. He no longer wished to fight his cancer. He wanted to be in control of his own passing. But he was also facing tumor progression within the abdomen. His parents are devastated but remain vigilant by his side. Treatment will prolong life and in many cases lead to a cure. Those cases in which treatment does not lead to cure are the ones that everyone always sees. There are many cancer survivors out there, you should go read their stories and than decide whether it was worth it for them to continue treatment. LiveStrong Stories of Survival http://www.livestrong.org/site/c.khLXK1PxHmF/b.2661271/k.A9E4/View_All_Stories/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp
3 :
It depends upon your outlook on life and your own personal decision when presented with all the facts and informing yourself as much as possible..
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Title : In what stage or type of cancer is it sensible to refuse treatment
Description : In what stage or type of cancer is it sensible to refuse treatment? My niece and my brother died after undergoing painful, expensive trea...