Very complicated. So many factors to weigh. What are the odds of winning the fight? (I have noticed that many doctors do not want to say but possibly the internet plus more than one opinion would be helpful.) What is the chance of being independent if the fight is won? How painful will the fight be? How expensive will it be? --Of course you would need to be treated for your mental illness and supported to enable you to make a sensible decision.-- Our decision making processes are not good when we are depressed, psychotic, etc. But people should be able to choose. Sometimes, if someone is fighting an illness that is painful and wreaking havoc to their body, the kind of havoc that leaves them in a very sad condition, we need to let them go. People sometimes fight on because their loved ones want them to stay so bad. I have seen it. When we love someone we need to be with them through a fight like this--make them comfortable, joke, try to do things with them (even if all you can manage is talking about old times sitting on the porch with them) but above all, make them understand that we love them and support their decision to choose either approach. It is their life.

When it comes to things like cancer--many factors affect the fight including: fate (Most cancers are caused by bad luck not genes or lifestyle, say scientists - Telegraph --my mom did not drink, smoke, etc. and died of cancer at age 53), what is the current technology (are their cures?) for the cancer (there are more than 100 kinds), and to a smaller degree--the will to live (do they want to live/do the people around them want them to live-but sometimes even when you are determined, the end result is living 2 years rather than living less than 6 months as predicted). I think we only have so much control over when we go--guess I am very fatalistic that way. Of course, some cancers can be cured--they have figured out how to beat back some of them. When really good cures exist (especially the less painful types of treatments and the types of treatments with a decent chance of success) for the type of cancer the person has then fighting makes a lot of sense. Só leigheas: I hope your cancer hasn't returned. I am guessing that once you have it, it stays in the back of your mind because there is a chance it could return. I think PC might be a good place to talk about it if it ever does.....