Cancer treatment decisions

When faced with a cancer diagnosis, there are decisions to be made - surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, oral treatment options, alternative medicine, etc. Doctors do their best to direct their patients toward their preferred options. Most say yes, but some patients say no. Of those patients, some reconsider and later go with their doctor recommendations.

Yes there are stories about people who opted out of treatment and are still alive 20 years later. But there are many other stories of those who refused traditional treatment and succumbed shortly after.

I know of at least one other story right now of a mother and 17 year old daughter, the cancer patient, who have refused treatment and the state of CT has gone after them to legally require them to allow their daughter to have treatment. The pair was last seen in south Texas and it is not sure if they are in Mexico.

I have conflicting feelings with this.

• I believe that we are all entitled to do what we think is right for our bodies.
• I strongly oppose any legal authority tell me what I must do in treatment.
• But I do agree there are some people who believe that modern medicine, whether eastern or western, is bad and will not have anything to do with it.
• Finally, yes there are idiots out there who will not hear anything they do not want and need to be protected from their own failed logic.

Some medical treatments are not fun. And honestly, no one really wants to have surgery. But if its going to (or I should say 'if it should') save your life, isn't that in your best interest?