what if i choose not to have cancer treatment

Full Answer

Can cancer go away on its own without treatment?

Yes, Caner can go away on its own, but it’s not that simple. While cancer can in fact just disappear for no explainable reason, it is extremely rare. The chances of cancer disappearing with no treatment, are about 1 in 80,000 to about 1 in 100,000. These are the best estimates we have at the moment.

When treating cancer is not an option?

When patients have an estimated six months or less to live, and are no longer benefiting from treatment, they are eligible for hospice care. The focus here is on quality—not length—of life. According to the NCI, hospice care does not mean giving up hope, but changing what you hope for.

What happens if I choose not to treat my lung cancer?

If you choose not to treat your lung cancer, likely the cancer will grow and spread, causing pain, difficulty breathing, harm to affected organs and could possibly cause death. Due to the side effects of treatment on an advanced stage of cancer, some people diagnosed with lung cancer decide not to undergo treatment.

How to cure cancer without chemotherapy or surgery?

• Are elderly
• Have poor nutrition
• Are obese
• Have already taken or are currently taking other medicines
• Have already had or are currently getting radiation therapy
• Have low blood cell counts
• Have liver or kidney diseases
• May otherwise be unable to tolerate full doses

Can you choose not to treat cancer?

You don't have to have treatment. People with very advanced cancers sometimes find they'd rather treat the pain and other side effects of their cancer so that they can make the best of the time they have remaining. If you choose not to be treated, you can always change your mind.

What will happen if cancer is not treated?

The bottom line. Cancer can kill when tumors affect the function of major organs. Life threatening complications can also occur due to malnutrition, a weakened immune system, and lack of oxygen. Cancer treatments can prevent some of these complications, as well as disease progression.

Can you survive with cancer without treatment?

Doctor's Response. More than half of lung cancer patients will die within one year of diagnosis even with treatment. Without treatment, patients may die even sooner. For any hope of survival, medical or surgical treatment is necessary.

What happens if you don't complete chemotherapy?

What happens if you miss a dose of chemotherapy or a radiation treatment? Cancer treatment is designed to kill as many cancer cells as possible. If you miss treatments, the cancer cell killing does not happen. The cancer cells have an opportunity to continue to grow.

How long can you leave cancer untreated?

If you're wondering how long you can have cancer without knowing it, there's no straight answer. Some cancers can be present for months or years before they're detected. Some commonly undetected cancers are slow-growing conditions, which gives doctors a better chance at successful treatment.

Can cancer just go away on its own?

It's rare for cancer to go away on its own without treatment; in almost every case, treatment is required to destroy the cancer cells. That's because cancer cells do not function the way normal cells do.

How can I fight cancer without chemotherapy?

5 Cancer Treatments That Aren't ChemotherapyTreatment 1: Surgery. ... Treatment 2: Immunotherapy. ... Treatment 3: Targeted therapies. ... Treatment 4: Active surveillance. ... Treatment 5: Supportive care.

How long can you live with Stage 4 cancer without treatment?

Patients diagnosed in stage 4 who decide against treatment live an average of 6 months. In contrast, those diagnosed with stage 1A disease who elect no treatment live an average of two years.

Can you live a normal life with cancer?

Yes, it is possible to have a long life with cancer. Yes, it is possible to have a long life with cancer. Though being diagnosed with cancer is still presumed as a death sentence, most cancers are treatable. Millions of people with cancer are living in the United States.

Do I have the right to refuse chemotherapy?

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.

When is chemo not recommended?

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.

Is there an alternative to chemotherapy?

There are several alternative cancer treatments to chemotherapy, including immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and laser therapy. Some people may prefer these alternatives due to the potentially severe side effects of chemotherapy.

How many women refused breast cancer surgery?

It compared patients who refused breast cancer with those that those that accepted surgery. Only 1.3% of women (70) refused surgery. Of that group, 37 had no treatment, 25 had hormone-therapy only, and 8 had other types of treatments.

How long does breast cancer last?

(An old study of untreated breast cancer suggest the 5 year survival rates are 18% at 5 years and 3.6% at 10 years.)

How many people use alternative medicine?

In the population that did not use conventional care, one-quarter (24.8%) used some form of alternative medicine. And 12% (approximately 4.6 million Americans) were estimated to be using alternative medicine, and not conventional medicine, to treat one or more health issues.

Is CAM a substitute for medicine?

Surveys suggest the vast majority of consumers with medical conditions use CAM in addition to, rather than as a substitute for medicine – that is, it is truly “complementary”. But there is a smaller population that uses CAM as a true “alternative” to medicine.

Can you opt out of follow up on cancer?

Most patients who decide to opt-out of cancer treatment, also opt-out of any follow-up evaluation. So tracking down patients, and their outcomes, is essential. The effects of treatment refusals and delay, and the effectiveness of CAM as a substitute, has been evaluated in several groups of patients with breast cancer.

Is it reasonable to say no to palliative care?

Saying “ no” may also be reasonable where the benefits from treatment are expected to be modest, yet the adverse effects from treatments are substantial. These scenarios are not uncommon in the palliative care setting.

Is treatment without risk?

No treatment is without some sort of risk. And a decision to decline treatment has its own risks. One of the challenges that I confront regularly as a pharmacist is helping patients understand a medication’s expected long-term benefits against the risks and side effects of treatment.

Why do people decline chemotherapy?

Many patients decline chemotherapy for low odds of benefit especially if they have gotten very weak or have other symptoms that make their quality of life very poor. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

What happens when you die from cancer?

The most frequent outcome when cancer patients die is that whatever pain they have is controlled with narcotics and or sedatives. There often comes a point in poorly treatable cancer situations that the treatment is as bad or worse than the disease.

Can cancer be treated with radiation?

Cancers metastatic to bone are often painful but in some cases the discomfort is mild or more severe pain can be relieved with radiation therapy. There are specialists who assist in managing ...

Is pancreatic cancer bad for you?

Some cancers are more associated with pain than others. Pancreatic cancer can be particularly bad when it grows into nerves near the back of the pancreas. But I’ve had many patients with pancreatic cancer where pain wasn’t a problem. Instead, like many other patients with advanced cancers, they became weaker and more frail as their cancer worsened, ...

Why did Joan Crawford refuse treatment?

In the 1960s, film actress Joan Crawford refused treatment for her pancreatic cancer because of her faith as a Christian Scientist.

What is the importance of preparing for the end of your life?

That means getting important documents together, and storing them with a lawyer or in a safe deposit box. That might include insurance records, bank statements, trusts, and a will.

Can cancer be cured?

It’s not the easiest thing in the world to come to grips with, but not all cancer cases can be cured. Sometimes, cancer progresses to a point where it can’t be treated, and sometimes treatment simply stops working. Even when treatment may extend a person’s life, some people find that the side effects of that treatment makes life unbearable.

Is refusing cancer treatment a medical decision?

That’s why it’s important to recognize that refusing cancer treatment is not only a medical decision, but a personal decision, as well.

Who Uses Cam Instead of Medicine?

Effectiveness Evaluations

Conclusion: Alternative Medicine Isn’T Real Medicine

• Despite widespread claims, there is no evidence to support the use of any CAM treatment as a replacement for conventional cancer care. As the studies in breast cancer show, delaying treatment or substituting CAM for conventional cancer care dramatically worsens outcomes.The results of these studies will hopefully provide patients and health provide...

See more on sciencebasedmedicine.org

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