Father has been battling cancer for over ten years. Oncologist this week has. decided to discontinue his treatment because the cancer is starting to grow more.he also suggested that he familarize himself with hospice really soon.my father has been living with stage 4 cancer for a while.my question to you is . when a oncologist recommends a patient to hospice care,is the doctor giving up?and if so what is the time span for this cancer to really take and over cause eventually his death.
Hi, Thanks for writing in. It is important to know the type and treatment course of the cancer your father is having. Most cancers are evaluated by 5 year survival rate. This is a proportion of people who can survive up to 5 years from the day the cancer is first detected. If your father has survived for more than ten years then he has successfully fought and won the battle with cancer logically. Very few people fighting cancer are known to stay alive after 5 years and his doctor has surely given him the right treatment to keep him alive. Any ways presently there appears to be a problem with the cancer, and it might have spread to vital organs like brain, lungs and liver. It is difficult to guess the present state of cancer that he is having without additional details. Whatever be the situation, the fight with cancer is till the end. Your doctor probably wants to spare your father the pain and discomfort of the cancer. It is not that he is giving up but might be that he wants your father to lead a more comfortable life and provide him with more specific treatment options concerning pain relief. Please do not worry.