Some doctors will refuse to increase, or will even reduce your dose of painkiller if they decide it is making you too drowsy. They may do this even though your pain is not controlled. I believe that you have the right to have enough painkiller to control your pain, especially if your cancer cannot be cured and the cause of your pain cannot be corrected. You should decide whether you would prefer to be more alert and in more pain or drowsier and in less pain, even though the decision to be drowsier could mean that you don’t live quite as long as you would have otherwise. Your wishes in this regard are more likely to be respected if you talk to trusted family members or friends and your doctors about them before the situation ever arises. You could even put them in writing if you want to be as sure as possible that your last days will be as you want.

*183/40/1*

The expression partial remission means the cancer deposits have got smaller, but are still detectable. They can still be felt, or seen on X-rays, scans, biopsies etc, or detected through blood tests. A treatment that quickly produces a partial remission may eventually produce a complete remission if continued. People with partial remissions tend to live longer than people whose cancers don’t respond to treatment. However, of course, no one who has only a partial remission is ever cured.

*150/40/1*