a fourth stage esophageal cancer patient

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Yesterday shared the story of a fourth stage esophageal cancer patient.

To my surprise, there has been a lot of discussion about "quality of life".

Someone left a message saying:

"That's because he's lucky to have side effects, if you ask the families who lost their lives to chemotherapy, would they still choose that?" " The "

Actually this is a very interesting question.

Because the question itself has a premise:

You already know the final answer.

It's like buying a lotto.

If you already knew you didn't win the prize and asked if you didn't regret buying that lottery ticket, the answer is regret.

But life's biggest problem is:

We can never know the answer in advance.

The patient is making a decision and doesn't know which outcome they will be.

The doctors don't know either.

Family doesn't know either.

We can only judge based on the best evidence available.

In the case of esophageal cancer, I can honestly tell patients:

Getting treatment is really risky.

Including serious side effects and even a very small risk of death associated with treatment.

But this risk could be a few percent.

And if the disease has advanced to a certain point and is completely untreated, the risk of death is close to 100%.

This is not a perfect choice.

Instead, choose the one with greater chances between the two less ideal options.

This is the reality that cancer treatment faces every day.

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It was also mentioned:

"The true root of cancer is mind and mind, and as long as you adjust the mind and mind, cancer will naturally improve." " The "

I agree that physical and mental state is important.

Good emotions, family support, and proper stress management can all help patients face treatment.

But I don't think this can replace cancer treatment itself.

Because the patients I see in the outpatient clinic every day are not the cases in the book.

People who can't swallow because of tumor oppression.

People who can't sleep because of bone metastasis.

People who lose the ability to move because of brain metastases.

Frankly speaking,

Even the average person with toothache will be restless.

Not to mention the pain, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing and fear of death caused by cancer.

When the disease itself is not controlled,

Ask patients to solve problems by willpower, positive energy or mind-body balance alone,

I don't think it's true.

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I always believed:

Mind and mind can help patients walk more firmly.

But it really makes the tumor shrink,

Still drugs, surgery, radiation therapy, and medical advances accumulated from generation to generation of research.

Body and body are important.

Scientific treatment is also important.

The best result is never two choices,

It's the two working together.