thiswasnotthedecisionhehadexpectedtomake.First,
theoncologistsaid,shehadadiscussionwithhimalone.
They reviewed the story of how far he’d come, the
optionsthatremained.Shewasfrank.Shetoldhimthatin
her entire career she had never seen third-line
chemotherapyproduceasignificantresponseinhistype
of brain tumor. She had looked for experimental
therapies,andnoneweretrulypromising.And,although
shewaswillingtoproceedwithchemotherapy,shetold
himhow muchstrength and time thetreatment would
take away from him and his family.
Hedidnotshutdownorrebel.Hisquestionswentonfor
an hour.Heasked aboutthistherapyand thattherapy.
Gradually,hebegantoaskaboutwhatwouldhappenas
thetumorgot bigger,what symptoms he’d have,what
waystheycouldtrytocontrolthem,howtheendmight
come.
Theoncologist next metwith the youngman together
withhisfamily.Thatdiscussiondidn’tgosowell.Hehad
a wifeand small children,and atfirst hiswife wasn’t
ready to contemplate stopping chemo. But when the
oncologistaskedthepatienttoexplaininhisownwords
whatthey’ddiscussed,sheunderstood.It wasthesame
withhismother,whowasanurse.Meanwhile,hisfather
sat quietly and said nothing the entire time.
A few days later, the patient returned to talk to the
oncologist.“Thereshouldbesomething.Theremustbe
something,”hesaid.Hisfatherhadshownhimreportsof
curesontheInternet.Heconfidedhowbadlyhisfather
wastakingthenews.Nopatientwantstocausehisfamily
pain.AccordingtoBlock,abouttwo-thirdsofpatientsare