Why do doctors tell people with deadly ilnesses like cancer about their ilness.....?!

most people want to know their diagnosis, if only so they can prepare for the inevitable. at any rate, in the US, the doctor has to tell them their diagnosis, it's the law. As far as telling them how long they have, it is only an educated guess, and the doctor is rarely right. Some die sooner, some live much longer. My doctor told me six years ago that I would be dead in less than six months. He is very happy I proved him wrong.
And to be honest, it was not a fearful six months for me, it actually pushed me to seek out other therapies for my cancer, and they worked. Not everyone reacts to potential illness and death with fear.Health Question & Answer

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I think most people would want to know. There is so much to do before dying, if you get that chance. My dad's doctor didn't bother telling us until there was just a little under a month left for him to live. I often wonder what he would have done differently had he known. Would he and his wife gone on a fabulous vacation.? Would they have done anything differently at all.?
Death is a part of life and even though we all know that, it is difficult to grasp that someone we love is actually going to die. If the doctor told you, you and your family would also have some time to prepare for it and not just be surprised by it and taken completely off guard.
I personally hope I have a doctor that respects me and my family enough to tell me the truth.
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It is against the law for a physician to withhold health information from a patient. also, when they tell them, it allows for them to assist with better treatment options, since if there is a chance that a more aggressive treatment may prolong or extend their life a while they may go for it if they know it is the only chance they will have, as well as to help them get their affairs in order and to call any family and friends that they would like to see before they go. This is not meant to scare the patient, it is meant to help them in some hard decisions that have to be made before it is their time. I would want to know! I am not scarred of the dying, I am more scarred of the suffering before the dying and scarring my kids and grand kids. Wouldn't you want to know so that you could say your good-byes and be sure everything was tidied up with your legal affairs first.?Health Question & Answer

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Look at it from another way...if you've only got 1 month, you might want to have a chance to visit some special people, do some fun stuff you've always wanted. Most of us don't live life to the full, squeezing every minute out of every day...that would be exhausting for more than a few months. But if I had only a fixed amount of time, I'd rather know and enjoy what I had rather than wasting it working / saving money for retirement / planning things for the futureHealth Question & Answer

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By law they have to tell you. You may want to choose a treatment plan or skip it. At the very least you get all your affairs in order. Visit the people you love before leaving here. And the doctor could be very wrong.Health Question & Answer

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if you had a month to live and your doctor didn't tell you, you'd be super pissed off. Or at least your family would...

Doctors are supposed to inform you. It's up to you what to do with the information.Health Question & Answer

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