neil in gemini space

pathways without hope - 2024-04-21

turn back now if you are sensitive to hopelessness and sadness!

SO update:

• breast, liver, lungs, bone (revealed in mid-chemo scan); all multi-focal.

i fully expect symptoms or scan to reveal that brain cancer in the next few months.

chemo is tough with 2 of the 3 weeks between sessions lost to fatigue and debilitations; the liver and lung cancers have shrunk. i believe that the mean life extension of the 4 month treatment is 3 months; cost benefit equation? low immunity reduces normal social contact.

specific chemo is available for the bone cancers however this comes with many side effects (of course) including ironically bone damage. additional treatments needed to treat the treatment side effects; again cost benefit equation?

it seems that, despite some cancers shrinking, life expectancy is still less than two years.

my impressions so far regarding those treated in UK with terminal cancer:

• automatically put on a treatment pathway.

• do not hear the word cancer but deposits, lesions, et al.

• not routinely advised on life expectancy, we need to specifically ask.

• do not receive counselling about the cost benefit equation.

• do not get counselling about treating or not.

cost = days lost to fatigue, debilitation, and loss of social contact.

afaik despite medical advancements metastatic cancers are not survivable. treatment may or may not extend life but with guaranteed side-effects cost.

i think that patients with incurable cancers could receive accurate information and counselling about their prospects. this could allow them to make informed decisions about the treatments that they want to have.

wtf

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