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Jun 26, 2023 · [show] It's hard to know exactly what will happen in the final stage of life and especially near death. There are some common symptoms that most often happen in people with cancer who are dying. All might not happen, but it may help you to know about them. Changes in body function. Extreme weakness.
- Be present, even if you don’t know what to say. It can be hard to find the right words to say to a loved one with terminal cancer. But often, showing up with a listening ear is far more important than knowing exactly what to say.
- Allow yourself to feel complex emotions. A terminal cancer diagnosis can understandably bring a variety of emotions. These might include sadness, fear, anxiety, anger, shock, hopelessness and existential dread.
- Avoid statements that compare or minimize someone's cancer experience. Lee suggests avoiding excessive positivity or statements that start with ‘at least’ when discussing terminal cancer.
- Help without being asked. “Let me know if you need anything” can sound like a helpful way to support someone with cancer, but it can also create work. “It puts the burden back on the person with cancer to determine what they need or ask for help,” Lee says.
- Overview
- What’s the life expectancy of someone with terminal cancer?
- Are there any treatments for terminal cancer?
- What are the next steps after diagnosis?
- Where can I find resources?
Terminal or end-stage cancer is cancer that is not curable. The goal of treatment is to make sure an individual is as comfortable as possible and to extend life expectancy if possible.
Terminal cancer refers to cancer that can’t be cured or treated. It’s sometimes also called end-stage cancer. Any type of cancer can become terminal cancer.
Terminal cancer is different from advanced cancer. Like terminal cancer, advanced cancer isn’t curable. But it does respond to treatment, which may slow down its progression. Terminal cancer doesn’t respond to treatment. As a result, treating terminal cancer focuses on making someone as comfortable as possible.
Read on to learn more about terminal cancer, including its impact on life expectancy and how to cope if you or a loved one receive this diagnosis.
Generally, terminal cancer shortens someone’s life expectancy. But someone’s actual life expectancy depends on several factors, including:
•the type of cancer they have
•their overall health
•whether they have any other health conditions
Doctors often rely on a mixture of clinical experience and intuition when determining someone’s life expectancy. But studies suggest that this estimate is usually incorrect and overly optimistic.
To help combat this, researchers and doctors have come up with several sets of guidelines to help oncologists and palliative care doctors give people a more realistic idea of their life expectancy. Examples of these guidelines include:
Terminal cancer is incurable. This means no treatment will eliminate the cancer. But there are many treatments that can help make someone as comfortable as possible. This often involves minimizing the side effects of both the cancer and any medications being used.
Some doctors might still administer chemotherapy or radiation to prolong life expectancy, but this isn’t always a feasible option.
Acknowledge your emotions
If you receive the news that you or a loved one has terminal cancer, you’ll likely go through a range of emotions, often within a short period. This is totally normal. For example, you might initially feel angry or sad, only to find yourself feeling a slight sense of relief, especially if the treatment process has been particularly difficult. Others might feel guilt over leaving loved ones behind. Some may feel completely numb. Try to give yourself time to feel what you need to feel. Remember there’s no correct way to react to a diagnosis of terminal cancer. In addition, don’t be afraid to reach out for support from friends and family. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, talk to your doctor. They can refer you to local resources and services that can help. Receiving a diagnosis of terminal cancer can lead to an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. Again, this is completely normal. Consider tackling this uncertainty by jotting down a list of questions, both for your doctor and yourself. This will also help you better communicate with those close to you.
Questions to ask your doctor
After receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, your doctor might be the last person you want to talk to. But these questions can help start a dialogue about the next steps: •What can I expect in the coming days, weeks, months, or years? This can help give you an idea of what’s to come down the road, allowing you to better prepare yourself to face these new challenges. •What’s my life expectancy? This may sound like a daunting question, but having a timeline can help you make choices you can control, whether that’s taking a trip, catching up with friends and family, or attempting life-prolonging treatments. •Are there any tests that can give a better idea of my life expectancy? Once a terminal cancer diagnosis is made, some doctors may want to conduct additional tests to get a better idea of the extent of the cancer. This will help you and your doctor have a better understanding of life expectancy. It can also help your doctor prepare you for proper palliative care.
Questions to ask yourself
How someone proceeds after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis involves a good deal of personal preference. These decisions may be incredibly difficult, but going over these questions with yourself may help: •Are treatments worth it? Some treatments may prolong your life expectancy, but they may also make you ill or uncomfortable. Palliative care may be an option you’d like to consider instead. It’s designed to make you comfortable in your final days. •Do I need an advanced directive? This is a document that’s designed to help you fulfill your wishes if you eventually aren’t able to make decisions for yourself. It can cover everything from which life-saving measures are allowed to where you’d like to be buried. •What do I want to do? Some people with terminal cancer decide to carry on their daily activities as if nothing has changed. Others choose to travel and see the world while they still can. Your choice should reflect what you want to experience in your final days and who you want to spend them with.
Thanks to the internet, there are a lot of resources that can help you navigate the many aspects of a terminal cancer diagnosis. To start, consider finding a support group.
Doctors’ offices, religious organizations, and hospitals often organize support groups. These groups are designed to bring together individuals, family members, and caregivers coping with a cancer diagnosis. They can provide you, as well as your spouse, children, or other family members, with compassion, guidance, and acceptance.
The Association for Death Education and Counseling also offers a list of resources for many scenarios involving death and grief, from creating an advanced directive to navigating holidays and special occasions.
CancerCare also offers a variety of resources for dealing with terminal and advanced cancer, including educational workshops, financial assistance, and expert answers to user-submitted questions.
It means that the focus of care changes from trying to cure the cancer to: keeping your quality of life as much as possible. relieving your symptoms like pain or shortness of breath. making you as comfortable as possible. providing support during this time, which may be months or years.
Nov 17, 2021 · Here's what you can expect when caring for someone with cancer: The role will evolve “I break cancer caregiving into stages, just like we do with cancer treatment,” says Dr. Griffin. “There is the early stage around diagnosis and treatment planning, there's the active treatment stage, and then there's survivorship.
Oct 13, 2023 · Terminal cancer, sometimes called end stage cancer, is any type of cancer that doctors cannot treat or cure. Terminal cancer does not respond to treatment, and doctors cannot slow its...
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