Futile medical treatments aren’t of value

Too many people blindly undergo medical treatments that were never going to benefit them. There are many reasons for such treatments, but the end result remains regrettable. No one should ever be subjected to futile treatments, either knowingly or otherwise.

When you are about to undergo any treatments, you must be very clear that it is going to be beneficial. You should either expect a cure, or improvement of symptoms. Objective and focused medical interventions are mostly beneficial and will either cure you, relieve symptoms, or prolong your lifespan. This is more so with conditions that are progressive and lethal. But on the opposite extreme, there are treatments that get you nowhere, are a waste of efforts, and will never improve your health status to any meaningful measure.

Sometimes you’ll be faced with a condition that is far too advanced and cannot realistically be treated. An obvious example is cancer that has been diagnosed too late. In most of such cases, the disease inevitably leads to a predictable lethal end point, regardless of any interventions. Any and most treatments in such situations are just futile. What matters is basic care that maintains a decent quality of life. There are other benign conditions that aren’t necessarily progressive or lethal, but proposed treatments rarely achieve any benefits. Pursuing medical interventions for the sake of doing something in such situations isn’t ever necessary.

But how would you be able to judge if you might be embarking on futile treatment? For starters, you must have a deep understanding of your illness. That means being pretty clear about your diagnosis, treatment options, and expected outcomes. You must task your doctor with giving you detailed information about your medical condition. You must also make it your duty to look up additional information from other sources.

Once fully armed with adequate information, you can easily weigh up treatment options. Whatever gets recommended in the setting of medical futility should always be weighed against the option of doing nothing. Most people (and clinicians too) tend to forget that doing nothing, regardless of the prevailing medical condition, is always an option. This is especially so if the recommended interventions are more of desperation than objectivity. Left unchecked, futile medical endeavors may inadvertently accelerate your pathway to mortality.

Does anybody ever benefit from futile medical endeavors? Patients certainly do not benefit. In fact, there’s so much to lose when pursuing futile treatments. You’ll have to bear the emotional trauma of unhelpful interventions, coupled with expectations that are only a pipe dream. Then there are medical costs to be catered for, which might end up draining scanty financial resources. Obviously health service providers end up with your custom, eventually reaping business rewards from your medical misadventures.

Dr Alfred Murage is a Consultant Gynecologist and Fertility Specialist. amurage@mygyno.co.ke