I just saw a news story about the need for oncologists to tell their patients when they are dying. Too often, patients receive aggressive chemotherapy during their last two weeks of life. It turns out that less than 40 percent of patients have a serious talk with their doctors about their chances. I have written before about overtreatment and the need for patient, family, and doctors to have ongoing talks about treatment and alternatives such as palliative care and hospice.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology has a booklet on planning end-of life care. I have always thought of oncologists as only stopping aggressive treatment when the patient dies. It looks like that may be changing. Another website about end-of-life planning is here.
Now, here is the other side of all this. Late last …
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