In late-stage cancer when a cure is no longer possible and time is limited—should we focus on aggressive treatments like chemotherapy or ICU care that might prolong life by a few weeks or should we prioritize the patient’s comfort, emotional peace, and dignity?
As a healthcare professional, what would you choose for your patient—or yourself?
Drop your thoughts below 
What I think is these topics can be discussed by us but no one among us can say what to do because when your someone’s close will be on same place you will do anything at any cost to save them , I agree the comfort but it will give so much of guilt and regret that we didn’t try to save them , we were just waiting for him to die and what else we give is comfort
I Agree with you
Depends on the situation. If there’s no chance of survival at all then we should prioritize the patient’s comfort, emotional peace, and dignity.
Depends on the situation and the patients decision
It would differ case to case and person to person views as if the patient is so critically ill there is no point for further treatments like chemotherapy and all, that time one should consider the comfort and peace of patient. When there are some chances that the patient can live little more longer with the treatment and he too wants to go under treatment then we can consider the further treatment options.
I think it really depends on the family’s decision and, most importantly, respecting the patient’s own wishes. Every situation is different, and what matters most is making sure the patient feels heard and supported in whatever choice they make.
I do agree with you
It depends on the situation and the patient and his/her family’s decision. But, I think if the survival chance is very limited, prioritizing patient’s comfort and emotional peace and creating a sense of home would be a better approach.
I think in late-stage cancer, the patient’s wishes for peace and dignity must be respected, hence the concept of palliative care. Palliative care is centered around providing humane and compassioante care for individuals who are beyond recovery, ensuring they live their last days in peace and contentment.
As for me, I would prefer to make myself as comfortable as possible while surrounded by my loved ones. When a remedy doesn’t seem feasible, perhaps the genuine struggle is for comfort, farewell, and peace.
Prioritising patient’s comfort, peace and dignity is much more important than aggressive treatments, just to increase few weeks of their painful life.
It is totally depend upon the patient’s and family’s decision. At last it is the choice between life and death, so we can not give any perfect answer to this.
In the final stages when someone is struggling for life, choosing comfort over aggressive treatment will be feasible as per what scientific research says. It indicates that, providing comfort is not about giving up on them, but it is an absolute act of love and deep respect or regard. Various studies show that “palliative care” can actually ease much pain, grant emotional peace, and help the patient spend meaningful time with their loved ones. I will say in cases like this, let’s go first with the treatment to whatever extent we can, but there’s a threshold where we need to think about the whole situation from the perspective of that person who is suffering and take their opinion on what they want at this moment. As family, it is natural to feel guilt or wonder if we did enough, but caring is not always just about the medical decisions that were made for them; it also includes our presence, compassion, and how we honor their wishes. Sometimes, sitting quietly, holding their hand, or choosing peace over more procedures is the greatest gift we can give. In those final moments, love, not any action is what truly matters.
With improvement in treatment and knowledge, the last stage of cancer can be managed well. However, predicting life expectancy is very difficult. There is no fixed timeline for survival.