Why I Won’t Stop Treating Patients at the End of Life

March 13, 2020

(Medscape) – Patients vote with their feet: If they come to the appointment, then for the most part I can assume that they are at least interested in hearing about the benefits and risks (physical, psychosocial, and financial) of further cancer therapy. And, if after hearing about those risks they are hopeful about cancer treatment, then who am I to deny them that? Telling patients, “I worry that you might not live long enough to have a benefit from your therapy” is relatively ineffective at shifting their mindset. It also presumes a sort of omniscience and paternalism from the oncologist that usually doesn’t go over well.