"David Bowie only found out his liver cancer was terminal three months before he died, a documentary reveals.
The musician was filming the music video for “Lazarus” when told his treatment would be stopped, its director said.
Johan Renck tells “David Bowie: The Last Five Years,” on BBC2: “The week we were shooting is when he found out that it is over.
“We’ll end treatment or whatever that means, that his illness has won.”
Someone here, either David Bowie himself or this Mr. Johan Renck has, I believe, sadly misinterpreted what was going on. First of all, cancer patients are not "told their treatment will be stopped". Stopping treatment - likely chemo treatments - is a patient's decision. Certainly with input from his oncologist, but the bottom line is that it is a patient decision.
What more likely happened is that based on testing - CAT scans usually - tumor/s were increasing in size as opposed to decreasing, despite the ongoing chemo treatments. At that point a physician will want to be honest with their patient. And yes, it can get to "there is nothing more we can do for you".
At that point most patients along with their doctors make the decision to stop the chemo - because it is so debilitating - and to proceed with palliative care only. And yes, at that point they know for sure that their days are numbered.
It is a very difficult time for all concerned. My heart goes out to Iman...
