IF you were a Medical Doctor ..

[Iconoclast]

Re: IF you were a Medical Doctor ..

@Evilmastermind

Lets suppose you are a medical doctor for a moment. A patient comes to you with sign n symptoms of anorexia, fever, malaise n all the symptoms of Malignant tumor.

Keep in mind malignant tumor means no turning back, which means patient will be suffering from the metastasizing [spreads organ to organ depending on the tumor] and then have to stand the torture of Chemotherapy.

Cancer itself is deadly n then various drugs that you have to take have tremendous side affects. Starting from renal failure to bone marrow depression to sterility n what not.

My Question:

Suppose you are a doctor and you know patient won’t survive with the type of cancer he/she has. Would you still go on n recommend having done chemotherapy [keeping in mind the toxicities caused by those drugs]? Yes, as a professional doc you should but still do u think its fair for the patient to suffer more pain that he/she already in?

Another Question:

Pretend you are a patient and doc told you the toxicities of therapy - would you still go for it?

You decide depending upon the general health of patient and prognosis. If chemo gives the patient 1-2 yrs disease free survival its worth it. If pt is too frail and cancer too widespread, you do not give chemo.
And ofcourse b4 giving chemo you discuss with him the "benefits’ and side effects and let him/her see other patients who have undergone similar treatments and let him make the final call.