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Can a person be forced..

Geekbabe

Geekbabe

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
to accept cancer treatment or any other treatment for a terminal illness or can the patient decide to just let nature take it's course ?

I'm talking about after the initial diagnosis,not end stage heroics
 
You would have to get legal guardianship of them I believe. Maybe get them declared mentally incompetent or something?

Otherwise, whateva, they do what they want.
 
Originally posted by: Ketteringo
You would have to get legal guardianship of them I believe. Maybe get them declared mentally incompetent or something?

Otherwise, whateva, they do what they want.
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I'm wondering if a person's Doctor can decide to try to legally compell treatment.
 
No lawyer here, but I'd guess a child can be compelled to by their parents or guardian. Perhaps someone in a rest home. The state could also take away children from parents that refused to have the kids get treatment.

Your doctors could refuse to cooperate with any alternate treatment plan such as nutrition-based, faith-based, etc. but unless someone manages to declare you mentally incompetent I don't see how they could compel you to get treatment with them.

I see TV ads on G4TechTV for some private cancer treatment hopital with stories of them curing people when no one else could, which means the patients must have switched from their original doctors and hospital. Of course the ads appear right after Bob finishes telling his buddy about Enzyte so I wouldn't actually trust the alternative hospital without a lot of research.
 
ok,related question, if your mother were to announce that she'd been told she had breast/cervical or ovarian cancer and that she had decided on a course of refusing all treatment besides that of pain relief what would your reaction be ?
 
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
ok,related question, if your mother were to announce that she'd been told she had breast/cervical or ovarian cancer and that she had decided on a course of refusing all treatment besides that of pain relief what would your reaction be ?
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I'd say it will be long, slow, painful process and sometimes people beat it. Its their choice though.
 
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
ok,related question, if your mother were to announce that she'd been told she had breast/cervical or ovarian cancer and that she had decided on a course of refusing all treatment besides that of pain relief what would your reaction be ?
Click to expand...


I'd tell her she's a strong woman and she can do what she wants to. No sense in keeping someone alive if they don't choose to be.
 
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
ok,related question, if your mother were to announce that she'd been told she had breast/cervical or ovarian cancer and that she had decided on a course of refusing all treatment besides that of pain relief what would your reaction be ?
Click to expand...
id respect her decision. i wouldnt try to sway her decision one way or another. it'd be tough, ill admit that, but she has always vocally expressed that if she was in that situation, that is what she would want to do.

actor gregory hines did something similiar when he found out he was diagnosed with liver cancer. he refused treatment and passed on surrounded by his family/loved ones. of course, its different for other people. but for me personally, im not one to go against what could be that persons last wish.

and the way this topic/response is phrased, it sounds pretty personal and i wish my best to them. good luck.
 
I'd try to find out more about what treatment the doctors were suggesting, how often it actually helped people, what the side effects would be, and what other choices there might be.

Many doctors seem to want to prolong life regardless of the quality of that life, and regardless of cost.

I can understand refusing treatment if it will only slightly prolong life, and will have serious side effects while doing so. An extra six months of life might not be worth it to me if I spend half of it being treated or recovering from the side effects of treatment.
 
Originally posted by: anxi80
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
ok,related question, if your mother were to announce that she'd been told she had breast/cervical or ovarian cancer and that she had decided on a course of refusing all treatment besides that of pain relief what would your reaction be ?
Click to expand...
id respect her decision. i wouldnt try to sway her decision one way or another. it'd be tough, ill admit that, but she has always vocally expressed that if she was in that situation, that is what she would want to do.

actor gregory hines did something similiar when he found out he was diagnosed with liver cancer. he refused treatment and passed on surrounded by his family/loved ones. of course, its different for other people. but for me personally, im not one to go against what could be that persons last wish.

and the way this topic/response is phrased, it sounds pretty personal and i wish my best to them. good luck.
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A female relative of a friend of mine is in this situation and the family is proceeding to have her declared incompentant to make her own choices regarding her medical care. She's 50 and has decided that the treatment isn't worth the side effects.

Personally I think it horrid that they can't/won't honor their mother's wishes and concentrate on just enjoying her remaining time with her.
 
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
ok,related question, if your mother were to announce that she'd been told she had breast/cervical or ovarian cancer and that she had decided on a course of refusing all treatment besides that of pain relief what would your reaction be ?
Click to expand...

it would depend on her age and general health otherwise

as hard as it is, we all have to leave this life at some point


my grandmother has been bed ridden for 3-4 years now and has a very low quality of life, i can't even bring myself to see her anymore, it is too hard visiting her and she doesn't know who i am

if the person is in generally good health otherwise, i would put a HIGH level of effort into convincing them to get treated for the cancer
 
..I've known co-workers and friends who stopped treatment after giving it a try. I don't know what legal hurdles they had to hop. Some simply stopped showing up for treatment. The cut/burn/poison/strategy of cancer treatment is horrendous and more then some people can tolerate. I had a family member that died of ovarian cancer 25 years ago and know somebody who's going thru the same treatment now. And it's the same treatment that was in use 25 years ago..what the hell is going on with medical research and technology that they can't come up with something else that will help these people instead of a therapy(kemo) that for all practical purposes..poisons them..if you ever have a family member or friend go thru this you'll spend a lot of time crying..and haggling with doctors asking them "isn't there something else we can do??"...not shure if any of this helped. But it's a well traveled road for me.
 
Originally posted by: IGBT
..I've known co-workers and friends who stopped treatment after giving it a try. I don't know what legal hurdles they had to hop. Some simply stopped showing up for treatment. The cut/burn/poison/strategy of cancer treatment is horrendous and more then some people can tolerate. I had a family member that died of ovarian cancer 25 years ago and know somebody who's going thru the same treatment now. And it's the same treatment that was in use 25 years ago..what the hell is going on with medical research and technology that they can't come up with something else that will help these people instead of a therapy(kemo) that for all practical purposes..poisons them..if you ever have a family member or friend go thru this you'll spend a lot of time crying..and haggling with doctors asking them "isn't there something else we can do??"...not shure if any of this helped. But it's a well traveled road for me.
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I just cannot fathom going into court and telling a judge that your mother is clearly not in her right mind because she'd rather die than endure life minus a breast and a few rounds of chemo.
 
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
ok,related question, if your mother were to announce that she'd been told she had breast/cervical or ovarian cancer and that she had decided on a course of refusing all treatment besides that of pain relief what would your reaction be ?
Click to expand...

i would recommend that she talk to a psychiatrist. seriously. unless she's 90 and just feels "this is my time," then her odd refusal of treatment may be the result of depression. she may feel unable to handle this and unable to face the hardships of treatment. this may be her own little way of commiting suicide. but i think with the support of her family and a neutral person to talk this out with (the shrink), plus maybe antidepressants, she might decide she can pull through this after all.

i've known a number of women (and men) who've had cancer, been treated, and pulled through ok. yeah, kemo is super rough, but it's only for a while. any time you have after that is like a special life bonus. i think in a way it could be very freeing.
 
Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
Originally posted by: Geekbabe
ok,related question, if your mother were to announce that she'd been told she had breast/cervical or ovarian cancer and that she had decided on a course of refusing all treatment besides that of pain relief what would your reaction be ?
Click to expand...


I'd tell her she's a strong woman and she can do what she wants to. No sense in keeping someone alive if they don't choose to be.
Click to expand...
 
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