Brought to you by
Dr. Lane Lester

I hope you find this article about lymphoma both interesting and helpful.

There are have been many instances when lymphoma treatments fail and the patient is left with no other viable options. This usually happens when the cancer has been discovered at a terminal stage or has recurred for a number of times and treatments could no longer suppress the abnormal cells. When the cancer management team discovers that treatment could no longer cure the patient, the difficult decision must be faced by the patient and his or her family as to whether to continue with more aggressive treatment or simply ask for medication to ease up the symptom while the patient waits.

Decisions to stop treatments are very tough to make. Many people who know that the treatment if continued would prove to be futile and would subject the patient to inhuman treatment would still opt to continue treatment in the hope that somehow it will work out. At this point, it is best to discuss the situation openly with patient. Many patients have an idea of the futility of the treatments so when the cancer management eventually discuss the situation, the information would not usually come as a shock to them.

Keeping the information on the futility of treatment to patient is not fair to them especially when the patient really want to know the real score. Where the patient is very interested to know, then tell them and make them decide what to do. A lot of patients would want to make the decision themselves and would not want to let any other people to decide whether treatment will be continued or not. In fact, many patients would ask to stop the treatment if they are aware that it will achieve nothing.

Where the patient chooses not to continue treatment, then by all means honor the request. Subjecting the patient to inhuman treatments that will simply be futile is crueler than just letting the disease tae its course. It is best let the patient enjoy his or her last days in peace without being cut up or treated with painful concoctions, which will not really cure them in the end.

The last days of the patient could be a very emotional time for the patient, the family and friends. If you are a close family or friend of the patient, that feeling of sadness and anxiety of impending loss could be overcome with love and faith. All those who are around the patient should understand that there is nothing that could be done to save the patient so it is best let him or her go so that he or she could rest.

This may not be easy to do, therefore, if you have a support group, make it a point to attend meetings to unburden yourself. Support groups are usually very helpful in coping with a loss as these people have through a lot of pain themselves. They know how you feel and they understand. Having a church where you could go and renew your faith every time you feel lost would also help a lot in coping with an impending loss. Make sure that you go to your church and pray.

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