

Why did Steve Jobs choose not to effectively treat his cancer? - PhilipDaineko
http://www.quora.com/Steve-Jobs/Why-did-Steve-Jobs-choose-not-to-effectively-treat-his-cancer

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jorleif
While the answer to the question is quite good, the rant at the end really
considers any kind of skepticism towards medicine "mumbo-jumbo". The key point
is the accuracy of the medical prediction from the measurements. If you indeed
have a tumor of the kind Jobs had, then it is certain that you will have
problems. However, if you have mild hypertension or high cholesterol, you
might have a problem, or then you might not. Treatment itself can cause
problems of similar magnitude, and therefore being skeptical can be well
founded.

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headShrinker
> dihydrogen oxide

Water's chemical composition name might sound scary while being harmless,
unfortunately, the drugs and procedures for cancer treatment are far from
harmless, so let's do away with the 'western medicine is always right for
everyone' attitude. This is in general most doctor's point of view, and I can
understand it, as it is their area of study and practice.

There is another side to this that is mostly unexplored in America. The idea
of a dignified, medically unassisted walk in to death. Some people may be
ready to die and that is ok. Not everyone wants to be torn apart with knives
and chemicals, for a 65% chance of living 10 more years.

The more information that comes out about how medical costs are dolled out at
a rate of 80% in the last years of life causing severe unhappiness,
depression, and ultimate body failure should shock us all in to taking a look
at how we fear and treat the potential for death. Dying in America is
torturous. Maybe it's time we stop fearing it and start trying to understand
it in a deeper sense.

Much of my option is informed from this Fresh air interview with Dr. Sherwin
Nuland on dealing with cancer in America:
[http://www.npr.org/2014/03/07/287272150/fresh-air-
remembers-...](http://www.npr.org/2014/03/07/287272150/fresh-air-remembers-
surgeon-and-how-we-die-author-sherwin-nuland)

