Health Outlook (Prognosis)

Prognosis is defined as a prediction of what might happen in a specific case of disease. Many patients want to know their odds of beating cancer. It is OK to ask. It is also OK to not ask. The usual way a doctor gives an opinion on your health outlook is in percentages or by past experience. But different people react differently to a disease. Your body, your goals, your will to live, the treatment tailored to you, and other factors are unique to you. Your  situation has its own prognosis, which no one can give you precisely. Doctors can tell you the outcome of other patients, but your individual “story” is still being written.

If a doctor tells you that your illness is terminal, ask questions to make sure you understand. It could mean one of three things:

1. The doctor may not know all there is to know about treating every kind of cancer (there are over 100 types).

   This is not to discredit your doctor. But there may be other specialists who know of a treatment that may help you.

2. Your doctor may have decided that it is unlikely that additional treatment would help you

   He or she may have decided for you that you should not be put through more tests, operations, or other treatment. The doctor may honestly believe that the chances you will improve are very small, perhaps compared to the risks and discomfort they would cause. However, this is a decision that you should be allowed to make, if you so desire. Some patients stop treatment sooner than others, and some doctors stop treatment sooner than others.

3. Your doctor concluded that there is nothing more that he or she can recommend for treatment.

   Again, you may want to seek other opinions. If you choose, you have the right to explore every option for finding effective medical treatment. It is a personal decision that may be different than what others would do.

 

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