Early discussions about desired end-of-life care, among patients with incurable cancer, were associated with less aggressive treatment in the last month of life, according to a study published this week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Nov. 13 online ahead of print).

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) highlighted this study for providing “the first-of-its-kind scientific evidence that timing of end-of-life discussions affects decisions” and actual treatment given at the end of a patient’s life.

The study found that nearly 40% of end-of-life discussions with cancer patients happened in the last 30 days of life. Among patients who had such discussions earlier, they were much more likely to receive hospice care and less likely to be treated aggressively at the end of life. Read the rest of this entry »

Fight Colorectal Cancer’s September 2012 patient webinar focused on issues that run rampant with misunderstanding and fear: palliative and hospice care.

Dr. Jim Meadows, Director of Palliative and Hospice Care at Tennessee Oncology, led the webinar. He spoke at length about palliative care, but not surprisingly, the majority of questions toward the end of the webinar focused on hospice care.

One listener had a good question that elicited a great response from Dr. Meadows. We wanted to share it with you.

Q: Isn’t hospice ‘end of life’ care? Why are you saying it prolongs life when I have heard of many people having to watch for days and even weeks while their loved one wastes away and dies? Why say it prolongs life, at what emotional cost to patient and family?

Read the rest of this entry »

Every one of us — young or old, living with cancer or cancer-free — may come to a time when we cannot speak for ourselves.

An accident, serious illness, or emergency can leave us unable to make critical health care decisions.

If that happens to you, is there someone who can speak up for your wishes, who knows what you want and can legally ask for it?

Today, April 16, 2011, is National Healthcare Decisions Day.  Today we are urged to select someone to be our voice when we cannot speak for ourselves and complete a living will that lets our wishes be known.

An advanced directive

• Appoints a health care proxy or surrogate who can speak for you if you cannot tell the healthcare team what treatment you want — or don’t want.
• Puts in writing a living will documenting how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and cannot speak for yourself.

Help with Advanced Directives

Five Wishes helps you prepare a living will to let loved ones know how you want to be treated when you are seriously or terminally ill and cannot speak for yourself.  The Five Wishes document, written in simple, easy-to-understand language, is now legally accepted in 42 states.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has a booklet that can help cancer patients, their families, and their doctors make individual plans for care at the end of life.  You can download Advanced Cancer Care Planning or order a printed copy.

If you are a health care proxy for someone else, the American Bar Association has help in carrying out that role. Making Medical Decisions: A How-To Guide provides both practical information and emotional support for a difficult task. It reminds family and friends:

Don’t be afraid to use the “D” word: Dying. It’s hard to talk about illness and dying, but it’s a lot harder making decisions without having a sense of what the person would want.