After her husband was diagnosed with lung cancer, Jane Brody authorized radiation treatments even as his death approached. Her intentions were to help him live long enough to attend a concert of his songs, but after his death, she wondered if she had done the right thing. Her story is not uncommon. Terminal cancer patients will continue to accept aggressive …
Aggressive Cancer Treatments at End of Life
When a patient receives a cancer diagnosis, it’s common to undergo harsh and extreme treatments in pursuit of a cure. The treatments might be difficult to endure, but patients persevere because they hope to be disease-free. If, on the other hand, the cancer diagnosis is terminal, patients will still undergo treatment, even though a cure may not be possible. In …
Is Cancer a Win or Lose Battle?
Whether you have personally known someone with cancer or heard about someone outside your circle with the disease, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “fighting cancer” before. The language we use when we talk about diseases like cancer reflects our cultural attitude toward these serious conditions. Why do we need to talk about cancer in terms of battles – as though …
Heart Failure & Hospice
According to a August 29th, 2018 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Cardiology, there is compelling evidence that Hospice is an under-utilized benefit. This evidence includes: Only 5% of Advanced Heart Failure patients were discharged to hospice Of those discharged to hospice, 25% die within 3-days Readmission rates for those discharged to hospice are 1/8th other …