Stopping or Taking a Break from Therapy
For many people with cancer, there may come a time when you feel like you have had enough. If you are feeling that you have had enough, talk with your provider about your options. A social worker, therapist, or spiritual care provider may be able to help you work through these decisions. You can decide to stop treatment or take a break at any time. You may want to take a "holiday" from treatment, a few weeks or months off therapy. This can make a difference in how you feel and help you restart therapy later.
Your provider wants you to be comfortable with your treatment decisions and to enjoy the best quality of life you can. Even when your provider understands and supports your decision, your family or friends may not. They may have seen you get through months of therapy and not understand why, now all of a sudden, you want to stop or take a break. Sharing your feelings with your family and support persons is hard, but it is important for them to understand your shift in goals and how to continue to support you.
How can I get help to manage symptoms if I stop treatment?
Palliative care may be an option if you still wish to pursue active treatment but could use help with managing symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, nausea, etc. Palliative care is a medical specialty (like oncology or cardiology) focused on the relief of pain, stress, and other debilitating symptoms of serious illness. Palliative care isn’t the same as hospice. You can have palliative care at the same time as curative treatment. Not all hospitals have palliative care specialists. Visit getpalliativecare.org to find a specialist in your area.
What about hospice care?
If you decide that you do not want any more treatment, you may want to consider hospice care. Hospice is for people who have a serious illness, are no longer getting curative treatment, and who are believed to have 6 months or less to live.
Hospice is not a place, but a concept of care. The emphasis is on helping you live each day of your life to the fullest extent possible and providing support to you, your family, and caregivers. Hospice is really a re-prioritizing of treatment goals. When active therapy aims to cure or extend life, hospice care aims to provide comfort and achieve the best possible quality of life. Hospice teams specialize in managing symptoms and supporting you and your family physically, spiritually, and emotionally. They "treat" the entire family by incorporating them into the plan of care. The earlier you decide to move to hospice care, the greater the benefits you will get from hospice care. It allows for your symptoms to be stabilized and gives you and your family time to address emotional and spiritual concerns. It is also important to understand that enrolling in hospice is not a binding contract, and you can be discharged from hospice if your condition improves or you wish to restart therapy.