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Not to be a buzz kill, but this is an important topic, IMHO.
"An important new medical study finds that chemotherapy does not extend life for end-stage, terminal cancer patients. What's more, those who received chemotherapy treatment near the end of their disease had a worse quality of life than those who didn't."
Agreed. My father died of lung cancer and was in a last-ditch clinical trial, which made his last three months hellacious. Before he slipped into a coma, he told me that he wished he hadn't done the clinical trial. Perhaps it's the loved ones who have a more difficult time accepting the inevitable.
yeah, with true endstage anything you really want to have the reasonable assurances of an experienced and savvy clinician (or three) that this is going mostly probably to make a meaningful difference. Else what's the point, seriously. And there is always the moral obligation not to spend precious moneys needlessly and foolishly.
At that point David, money is a distant consideration. By virtue of family experiences with both parents, I am a firm advocate for palliative care, and believe this should be a topic discussed in terms of advanced directives.
Re moneys I was speaking socially morally; should've been clearer. Not a 'distant consideration' at all, unless one thinks of spending not-own-moneys like, you know, littering.
I think its a very individual decision, but lost my husband to lung cancer, which was discovered at N stage. He wanted chemo thinking it could extend life and give us more time, it did not. He was not sorry he tried however, he came from a medical family, and wanted to let science try what they could. I gave him no resistance in his decision however. It was his to make. It is important to discuss with loved ones though BEFORE illness strikes, too few really do.
Hi, Slick -- So sorry for your loss. Yes, I think the patient's age is also a factor...my dad was 75, so not too old, but I think if one of my sons had cancer, I would try every possible treatment...medical and otherwise.
Very important topic and money weaves in and throughout care. Numerous studies have shown that ALL physicians, including Oncologists are very poor at prognosis towards the end of life. My tongue-in-cheek translation of what actually happens vs what they say is ,if an Oncologist gives you a 6months, plan on 3months. 3months, plan on 30days or less. 30 days=7days and 7 days means TODAY. Apologies to the Oncologists out there but planning for the future or planning to say good-bye is never served by overly optimistic estimates that are far off the mark. 25% of Medicare dollars are spent at the end of life. Should be the reverse but it is not.
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Which EVERYONE should have documented.
Re moneys I was speaking socially morally; should've been clearer.
Not a 'distant consideration' at all, unless one thinks of spending not-own-moneys like, you know, littering.