In some cases, oncologists fail to tell patients how long they have to live. In others, patients are clearly told their prognosis, but are too overwhelmed to absorb the information.
Physicians should disclose a cancer diagnosis in a personal setting, discussing the diagnosis and treatment options for a substantial period of time whenever possible.
The decision to keep a cancer diagnosis secret is not uncommon, because many patients don't want cancer to define them as someone different than they were before. Norm MacDonald may not have been a household name to some, but since leaving Saturday Night Live in 2009, he was among the busiest performers on television.
In 2014, Ezekiel Emanuel — a health policy expert, medical ethicist, and oncologist —wrote an infamous article in The Atlantic called "Why I Hope to Die at 75." Now, just 10 years from his 75th birthday, Emanuel speaks with The Times' Helen Rumbelow to explain why he will likely maintain his position to stop accepting ...
Complications such as jaundice, sepsis or occlusion, often observed during the evolution of digestive cancers, are important reasons for discontinuation and could explain our shorter time from chemotherapy discontinuation to death, compared to other oncology subspecialties.
Some reasons why you might consider stopping include: Your cancer is advanced, and further treatment won't make a big difference in how long you live. You've tried multiple treatments that haven't worked. The risks or side effects of treatment outweigh the benefits.
Because of chemotherapy's possible risks and side effects, it is not always recommended. Your oncologist may recommend avoiding chemotherapy if your body is not healthy enough to withstand chemotherapy or if there is a more effective treatment available.
Can you refuse chemotherapy? Yes. Your doctor presents what he or she feels are the most appropriate treatment options for your specific cancer type and stage while also considering your overall health, but you have the right to make final decisions regarding your care.
Your doctor may then suggest a second-line treatment, also called second-line therapy. It is a different treatment that is likely to be effective. Depending on the type of cancer you have and the available drugs, you may be able to have third-line therapy or additional rounds of treatment after that.
An oncologist may also be called a cancer specialist. The field of oncology has 3 major areas based on treatments: medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology. Medical oncologists treat cancer using medication, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
Sometimes people choose not to tell others because they don't want to be asked about their cancer all the time or feel like they need to give reports to everybody.” There are also other reasons – valid reasons – that people might hold back their cancer news.
Cancer is often discovered when people go to their doctor because they have discovered a lump or spot or they have symptoms that the doctor decides need to be investigated further. There is no single test that will diagnose cancer. Instead, a range of tests will be used, starting with a physical examination.
Some cancer patients may feel overwhelmed by the situation and not know how to talk about their feelings with those who are closest to them. This can lead family members and close friends to feel rejected or unwanted, especially when they want to be there during their loved one's time of need.
Waiting times
Accurately diagnosing cancer can take weeks or months. As cancer often develops slowly over several years, waiting for a few weeks will not usually impact on the effectiveness of treatment.
Sometimes symptoms affect specific areas of the body, such as our tummy or skin. But signs can also be more general, and include weight loss, tiredness (fatigue) or unexplained pain. Some possible signs of cancer, like a lump, are better known than others.
During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover.
Maintenance therapy is the ongoing treatment of cancer with medication after the cancer has responded to the first recommended treatment. Maintenance therapy, sometimes called continuous therapy, is used for the following reasons: To prevent the cancer's return.
For most cancers where palliative chemotherapy is used, this number ranges from 3-12 months. The longer the response, the longer you can expect to live.
Around the third day following a chemotherapy treatment, some people may experience flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches and pains. If you experience these aches, you can take over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or Advil. If necessary, contact your doctor for stronger medication.
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
It is true that, while some people benefit, in some cases the side effects of palliative chemotherapy do more harm than good, and many patients would see more benefit from early access to palliative care as opposed to invasive medical interventions.
Most people have ups and downs during treatment, but support is available. Some people find they can lead an almost normal life during chemotherapy. But others find everyday life more difficult. You may feel unwell during and shortly after each treatment but recover quickly between treatments.