My brother has stage 4 lung cancer that has spread to his liver,kidneys and brain. He is not ready to die and is devastated to be told he will not be offered any treatment. Can he insist on some sort of treatment.
I'm sorry to read about your brother's' situation. This must be a difficult time for you both and I appreciate you wanting to explore all possible options.
As nurses we don't recommend treatment. This needs to come from your brother’s specialist team who are familiar with all his medical details.
After a cancer diagnosis patients are discussed within a MDT ( Multi Disciplinary Team) where all the specialists come together to decide the best course of action for each individual patient. The decisions are based upon the type and stage ( size and extent) of cancer and how fit and well they are and if they have any other health conditions that may affect them having treatment.
Some people like to ask for a second opinion with another oncology ( cancer) team as they want to feel that they have left no stone unturned. If this is something that your brother would like to do, he could ask his GP or current specialist to refer him. We have some general information on our website about getting a second opinion.
I hope this has been of some use. Give us a ring if you would like to talk anything over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
