Originally published on prost8blog; republished with permission.
This week in which the country will come together to mourn the passing of a true American original, John McCain, it might be worth considering our (your) own mortality. Even as the ongoing progress toward controlling prostate cancer is underway, it remains clear that “something else” will get us. As an example, in a study I was privileged to lead among patients with high-risk prostate cancer, other cancers (many of which were caused by our adjuvant mitoxantrone treatment) were as likely to lead to death and prostate cancer was the cause of dying only about 20% of the time.
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What does it feel like to die from this?
I have been asked some version of that question a number of times. Quite obviously, it is as uncomfortable to ask as it is to answer. Medical oncologists (myself included) deal with some version of this on a weekly basis and for the most part, answer as honestly and sincerely as they can – but necessarily at a superficial level. “We will do everything we can to keep you comfortable.” “When that time comes, I will be there for you and your family.” “That is a question I think we should address with our palliative care team or hospice – would you like me to get them involved?”
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