Ae* was a healthy 80-year-old woman who played tennis two or three times a week, but when a physical examination showed a lump in her lung, she refused further medical examinations. Instead, she met Dr Nuttapon Kanprugse, the head of the Palliative Care Team at Camillian Hospital in Bangkok. Dr Nuttapon, who is also a family physician, told her that if the results of further tests showed the lump to be cancerous, she could possibly be cured because the tumour was small. However, Ae said as she was already 80, she preferred to live the rest of her life naturally rather than undergo surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Two years later, Ae began to develop pleural effusion, but still refused treatment because she did not want to be hospitalised. Dr Nuttapon respected her decision and informed her of both the…
