2015-01-09, 03:47 PM
I need to make a comment here. When patients are diagnosed with cancer that must undergo chemo treatment, it is extremely important for physicians to inform the patient and the family
1) what's the survival rate of the cancer
2) if no treatment, expected life expectancy
2') if no treatment, QoL effects after x and y years
3) if treatment, what's the success rate
4) if treatment, projected life expectancy (preferably at some confidence level)
5) if treatment, relapse period
6) if treatment, side effects and duration of side effects i.e. QoL
For many, many cancers, especially late stage ones where treatment success rate is low and expected life duration left is <6 months, doctors must weigh the patient's QoL heavily, and advise the patient that no treatment is as equally viable as having the treatment. Often, doctors want to cure a disease, but they neglect the purpose of doing so, which is to make life better, not prolong the pain. Long, painful life, or short and happy life? Most medical schools now have ethics courses etc. that talk about this (but which many students think "bah, ethics, I know it all, I'll be a good boy/girl" and skip it).
Hadriel
1) what's the survival rate of the cancer
2) if no treatment, expected life expectancy
2') if no treatment, QoL effects after x and y years
3) if treatment, what's the success rate
4) if treatment, projected life expectancy (preferably at some confidence level)
5) if treatment, relapse period
6) if treatment, side effects and duration of side effects i.e. QoL
For many, many cancers, especially late stage ones where treatment success rate is low and expected life duration left is <6 months, doctors must weigh the patient's QoL heavily, and advise the patient that no treatment is as equally viable as having the treatment. Often, doctors want to cure a disease, but they neglect the purpose of doing so, which is to make life better, not prolong the pain. Long, painful life, or short and happy life? Most medical schools now have ethics courses etc. that talk about this (but which many students think "bah, ethics, I know it all, I'll be a good boy/girl" and skip it).
Hadriel