Untreated cancer prognosis

  • Thread starter Not a lawyer, be nice.
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Not a lawyer, be nice.

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Looking for some information about untreated cancer.

This would be for a current 1cm tumor in the lung that is not known if it is small-cell or non-small cell, no signs of metastasis as of yet. This pretty much means it is a stage 1 cancer.

Patient is exhibiting symptoms of tumor as it is causing fluid build ups in the lungs. He is also in his early 50s.

Typically if the tumor is not treated what are the average or typical times until death? I cannot really find an answer through my usual sources so I thought I would ask here in the hopes that one of the docs would give a general answer.

I do not have the cancer, a relative does and is refusing treatment. He may decide to get a biopsy, but right now is leaning against it. We need to prepare for the outcome and are wondering what type of time frame we have.
 
There are so many variables that it's hard to give you a meaningful answer. You could go anywhere from days to years.

If this person is walking/talking and carrying on with minimal disability at this point that would indicate months or longer from now. If they are fairly sickly looking and get worn out walking from the bedroom to the kitchen, and that disability is tumor related then you are probably looking at weeks. These are rough estimates.

If your loved one is forgoing treatment it's worth mentioning hospice. Even if they don't qualify technically ( less than 6 mos to live as estimated by an MD), the guiding force is medical therapy aimed at improving quality of life - rather than cure. I.e. Pain control. Symptom relief. Not trying to fix things, just alleviate suffering while the disease takes it's natural course.
 
Doggtyred said:
If your loved one is forgoing treatment it's worth mentioning hospice. Even if they don't qualify technically ( less than 6 mos to live as estimated by an MD), the guiding force is medical therapy aimed at improving quality of life - rather than cure. I.e. Pain control. Symptom relief. Not trying to fix things, just alleviate suffering while the disease takes it's natural course.
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and if hospice isn't applicable, consider palliative care, which can be used along with treatments intended to cure the disease/affliction.
 
Bob Noel said:
and if hospice isn't applicable, consider palliative care, which can be used along with treatments intended to cure the disease/affliction.
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Hospice IS by definition palliative care. The 6 month "certification" comes into play from a medicare benefits standpoint. Whether one qualifies for certification or not, the medical principles are the same. Comfort and optimizing quality of life are the goals.
 
Palliative care means that the battle has shifted from treating the underlying disease to improving the quality of life by relieving symptoms.
 
Doggtyred said:
Hospice IS by definition palliative care. The 6 month "certification" comes into play from a medicare benefits standpoint. Whether one qualifies for certification or not, the medical principles are the same. Comfort and optimizing quality of life are the goals.
Click to expand...

Well, my own experience is that Hospice and Palliative care are different programs. Perhaps things are different in Massachusetts than other states.
 
The distinction is mostly one for purposes related to which goverment benefit program pays for it.

As for the OPs question: You may not have received the full story here. Stage I lung cancer (1cm nodule, no mets) would not typically be expected to present with issues like fluid buildup in and around the lungs. Your relative may know more than he decides to share with his family.

Even with all the information available, any survival predictions are statistically based and indicate a wide range. Even with more sophisticated models that take functional status (ability to perform activities of daily living) into account, predicting how long someone is with us is difficult. The palliative care / hospice docs are pretty good at it as it has implications for the financial bottom-line of the facility.
 
Not a lawyer said:
...Typically if the tumor is not treated what are the average or typical times until death? ...
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If you are a relative, talk to the person's primary care physician or the cancer specialist that has handled the case thus far. One of them will know more about the case than we can guess at here.

...and above all,
FLY SAFE!

WileyP
 
WileyP said:
If you are a relative, talk to the person's primary care physician or the cancer specialist that has handled the case thus far. One of them will know more about the case than we can guess at here.

...and above all,
FLY SAFE!

WileyP
Click to expand...
They can't release any information without the consent of the patient and it is possible that he does not want anybody to know the details of his illness.
 
gprellwitz said:
:yeahthat: HIPAA regulations.
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Yup. Wife deals with that all the time with elderly patients who say they don't want family to know anything about their health condition.

Many elderly patients assume "oh, they won't listen to me, they'll tell them", like we're still in the old Family Doc days and friendly ol' Doc Brown will just go out in the hallway and tell the family anyway.

And Friendly ol' Doc Brown doesn't dare tell anyone not authorized to know, anything... unless the family wants to go get the elderly patient disqualified to handle their own health issues, and get power-of-attorney so they can find out.
 
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