When is ovarian cancer considered terminal?

Elizabeth Edwards states that her cancer is terminal. When do you know that your cancer is terminal - or not? Does a doctor make that determination?

My DIL has Stage 4 OVCA diagnosed May 14, 2009. She had a liver resection (no cancer there, praise God). She's had everything removed - ovaries, oomentum, F tubes, cervix, uterus, part of intestine, a mass from her diaphragm. The next surgery was a pleurectomy and the thoracic sugery also removed malignant lymph nodes from her lungs.

How would you rate/grade, whatever, my DIL based on what I have told you?

[Annekathryn Goodman, M.D.]

HI There

from wiki-answers:

"Terminal cancer is a type of cancer when you have a limited amount of time before you pass away. Terminal means the end. "


I think this word has alot of meaning and triggers tremendous emotional responses
when used. It can be used poetically, existentially, scientifically.

When this word is used, a person feels hopeless and alone

anyway, I personally think we are all alive until the day we die. Until that moment, live as vibrantly as you can.


Here is a great poem::

Remember

Wayne Muller

Remember who you are
Remember what you love
Remember what is sacred
Remember what is true
Remember that you will die and that today is a gift
Remember how you wish to live