What is a terminal illness? - Marie Curie

Advanced cancer usually means that there is a lot of cancer or it has spread (is a later stage). Terminal cancer usually means the cancer cannot be ... Home Whoweare Whatisterminalillness? ... Whatisaterminalillness? Aterminalillnessisanillnessorconditionwhichcannotbecuredandislikelytoleadtosomeone'sdeath.It'ssometimescalledalife-limitingillness.Onthispage,weanswerquestionsthatyoumighthaveaboutterminalillness. Theinformationonthispageiswrittenforpeoplelivingwithaterminalillness,butmayalsobeusefulforfamily,friendsandpeopleclosetosomeonewithadiagnosis. Onthispage: Whatdoesterminalillnessmean? Whatareexamplesofterminalillnesses? HowdoIknowifmyillnessisterminal? Howlongwillsomeonewithaterminalillnesslive? Whatcarewillsomeonewithaterminalillnessneed? Canaterminalillnessgetbetter? Moreinformationandsupportaboutterminalillness Whatdoesterminalillnessmean? Anillnessorconditionisterminalwhen: itcannotbecuredand itislikelytoleadtosomeone'sdeath. Somepeople,includinghealthcareprofessionals,mayusedifferentdefinitions.Ifyou'renotsurewhatsomeoneissayingorwhattheirwordsmean,it'simportanttoask. AtMarieCurie,weusuallyusethewordsterminalillnessinourinformation.Thisisbecausewecanclearlydefineit(seeabove),anditisoftenthephrasemostusedbythepeoplewesupportandtheirhealthandsocialcareprofessionals.Butsomepeopleprefertousethewordslife-limitingillnessorincurableillness.Pleasereadthispageusingthelanguageyoufeelmostcomfortablewith. Whatareexamplesofterminalillnesses? Thereisnosetlistofillnesseswhichareterminal.Peoplewhoareterminallyillmayhaveasingleillnessoranumberofdifferentconditions. Examplesofsomeillnesseswhichcanbeterminalinclude: advancedcancer dementia(includingAlzheimer's) motorneuronedisease(MND) lungdisease neurologicaldiseases,likeParkinson's advancedheartdisease. Rememberthattheseillnessesarenotalwaysterminal.Ifyouhavequestionsaboutyourillness,itisbesttospeakwithyourhealthcareprofessional. Isadvancedcanceralwaysterminal? Advancedcancerisnotalwaysterminal,butitcanbe. Advancedcancerusuallymeansthatthereisalotofcancerorithasspread(isalaterstage).Terminalcancerusuallymeansthecancercannotbecontrolledandislikelytobethecauseofsomeone'sdeath. Someadvancedcancerscanbetreatedtocontroltheirgrowthorspread,whileothersareterminal.Ifyouhaveterminalcancer,youcanstillhavepalliativecareortreatment,whichmayfocusonmanagingsymptoms. Somehealthcareprofessionalsmaydefineorusethewords'terminal'and'advanced'differently.Ifyouarenotsureaboutthewordsyourhealthcareprofessionalisusing,itisbesttoaskthemtoexplainwhattheymean. ReadMacmillanCancerSupport'sinformationaboutstagingandgradingcancer.  HowdoIknowifmyillnessisterminal? Thehealthcareprofessionalmanagingthetreatmentforyourcondition,suchasyourdoctororconsultant,shouldexplainwhetheryourillnessisterminalornot.Thediagnosiswouldbegivenaftertestsand,insomecases,treatment. Sometimeshealthcareprofessionalsmayusedifferenttermsordefinitions.Ifyouareunsureorworriedaboutwhetheryourillnessisterminal,it'sbesttospeakwithyourhealthcareprofessional. Howlongwillsomeonewithaterminalillnesslive? Someonewithaterminalillnessmaylivefordays,weeks,monthsoryears.Itoftendependsontheirdiagnosisandanytreatmenttheyarehaving.Itcanbedifficultforhealthcareprofessionalstopredictexactlyhowlongsomeonewithaterminalillnesswilllive(theirprognosis). Itcanbeshockingorupsettingtogetaterminaldiagnosis,aspeoplesometimesthinktheword'terminal'meanstheywilldiesoon.Thismightbeaworryforyoutoo.Itmayhelptorememberthatnotwoexperiencesofaterminalillnessarethesame.Sometimes,aperson'sconditionwillgraduallygetworseastheillnessprogresses.Otherpeoplemayfindthattheyfeelbetterorworseatdifferentpointsduringtheirillness–itisnotalwaysastraightpath. Findahobby–Ilovegardening.Peoplemightlikedrawing,walking,tryingtokeepfit...You'vegottodosomethingtooccupyyourbrain.Itdoesn'tmatterwhatitis. Mark,whohasterminalcancer Whatcarewillsomeonewithaterminalillnessneed? Ifyouarelivingwithaterminalillness,youwillusuallyhavetreatmentandcarewhichfocuseson: managinganysymptoms offeringemotional,spiritualandpracticalsupport givingyouagoodqualityoflife. Thistypeofholisticcare,whichlooksaftereverypartofyou,iscalledpalliativecare.Palliativecareaimstomakesureyoufeelsupportedandcomfortable,ratherthancuretheillness. Youcanhaveothertreatmentsatthesametimeaspalliativecare.Butsometimesyoumaystophavingothertreatments.Itcanbedifficulttocopewithstoppingtreatment,especiallyifit'sbecausethetreatmentisnotworking.Ifthishappens,it'simportanttoletyourhealthcareteamknowhowyou'refeeling.Theycanexplainwhatpalliativecareyoucanhaveandhowthatmaybeabletohelp. Palliativecaremaybegivenathomeorinanotherhealthcaresetting,suchasahospitalorhospice. Readaboutpalliativecare. Canaterminalillnessgetbetter? Byitsdefinition,aterminalillnesswillnotgetbetter–inotherwords,itcannotbecured.Butsometerminalillnessescanbetreatedtohelpeasesymptomsorgiveabetterqualityoflife. Weknowthatitcanbedifficulttocopewithaterminaldiagnosis,whichiswhyit'simportanttoaskforthesupportyouneed.Yourhealthcareteam,andMarieCurie,areheretoofferemotional,physicalandpracticalsupport. Readaboutcopingwithaterminaldiagnosis. Moreinformationandsupportaboutterminalillness Itmaytakesometimetoprocessgettingaterminaldiagnosis,andweareheretohelpyoumakesenseofit.Youmayfindourinformationonlivingwithaterminalillnesshelpful,whichincludesguidanceonmanagingsymptomsandtipsforplanningahead. Readaboutlivingwithaterminalillness. Youmaywanttotellotherpeopleaboutyourterminaldiagnosis,especiallythoseclosetoyou.Wehavesometipsonhowtohavethoseconversationsthatmaybeuseful. Readabouttellingothersaboutyourterminaldiagnosis. Ifyouneedmoresupportaboutterminalillnessoraterminaldiagnosis,youcancallourfreeSupportLineon08000902309. FindoutmoreaboutourSupportLine. Didyoufindthispageuseful? Yourfeedbackwillhelpusimproveourinformationandsupportresources. Whatwereyoulookingfortoday? Wasthispageuseful? Selectanoption Yes No I'mnotsure Pleasetelluswhy Whatdifference(ifany)hasthisinformationmadetoyou?(optional) Whatotherinformationwouldhelpyou?(optional) Youare Selectanoption Ahealthorsocialcareprofessional Livingwithaterminalillness Afriendorfamilymemberofsomeonewithaterminalillness Afriendorfamilymemberofsomeonewho'sdied Other-pleasespecify AnHRprofessionalorlinemanager Ifotherpleasespecify(optional) Whichcountrydoyoulivein? Selectanoption England NorthernIreland Scotland Wales Somewhereelse We'llusetheresultsofthissurveytounderstandhowourinformationhelpspeopleandhowwecanimproveit.Seeourfullprivacypolicy.Wemayalsouseyourcommentsanonymouslyformarketingpurposes.Pleasedon’tenteranypersonaloridentifiabledetails.Wewon'tbeabletorespondtoyourcomments.Ifyouwanttospeaktosomeoneorhaveanyquestions,pleasecontactourSupportLine.  Refreshcaptcha Wordverification Submit Aboutthisinformation Thisinformationisnotintendedtoreplaceanyadvicefromhealthorsocialcareprofessionals.Wesuggestthatyouconsultwithaqualifiedprofessionalaboutyourindividualcircumstances. Readmoreabouthowour informationiscreatedandhowit'sused.   Publisheddate:4April2022    Reviewdate:1April2025 Relatedcontent Copingwithaterminaldiagnosis Livingwithaterminalillness Whatispalliativecare? Palliativecareteam Single Monthly £20 £90 £180 £8 £12 £20 Other Yourgiftcouldpayforonehourofvitalnursingcareforsomeonelivingwithaterminalillnessinthecomfortoftheirownhome. Yourgiftwillpayforhalfanevening’scareinaperson’shomewhentheyneeditmost. Thisgiftwillprovideninehoursofnursingsupportinsomeone'shomethroughthenight,bringingtheexpertcareandcomfortfamiliesneed. Yourkindregulargiftcouldhelpprovidemuchneededsupportforfamilies. Overthecourseofayearyourgiftcouldprovideanentirenightofcareinsomeone'shome,helpingthemstaywiththeirfamily. YougiftwillpayforavitalhourofnursingcarefromaMarieCurieNurseforsomeonelivingwithaterminalillnesseverymonth. Whateveryoucangive,yourkinddonationmeanspeoplelivingwithaterminalillnessandtheirfamiliescangetexpertcareandsupport. Donate Howwecanhelp GetinformationandsupportandfindoutwhatMarieCurieNursesandHospicesdo. Getsupport BeforeherdeathinJanuary,CorinnaBassettspoketousaboutlivingwithcancer.Readhermovingstory,withreflectionsfromheraunt,Tracey. Published31March2022 “Ahospiceoffersmorethanendoflifecare" InaspecialfilmfortheNationalDayofReflection,13-year-oldEvelynclimbsagreatmonumenttohonourherdadMark,whodiedinlockdown. Published22March2022 VIDEO:EvelynGriffiths'story I’msogladMumwasabledieathomewithfamilybesideher,butthedisruptionofCovid-19meantshedidn'tgetthesupportsheshouldhave. Published8April2021 CaringforMumathomeduringCovid-19 Howwecanhelp Printthispage Onlinechat Chatisclosed Reopenstodayat8AM Sharethispage Byallowingustoplacesomecookies(littletextfiles)onyourdevice,you'rehelpingimprovetheMarieCuriewebsiteforeveryone.Ifyou'reokwithcookies,pleaseaccepttherecommendedsettings. Youcanadjustyourcookiesettingsusingthistool,andfindoutmoreaboutourcookieshere. Acceptrecommendedsettings Thesecookiesareplacedonyourdevicetomakeourwebsitework,buttheydon'ttrackyou.Withoutthesecookiesourwebsitewouldn’tworkproperly. Thesecookiesallowustoseehowmanypeopleusedifferentpartsofourwebsite.Weusethesetoimproveourwebsiteandyourexperience. Thesecookiesareusedtoshowyouadsthatarerelevanttoyou,limitthenumberoftimesyouseethem,andmeasuretheirperformance.Theyareusuallyplacedbythirdparties,suchasadvertisingnetworks,withourpermission.Viewalistofourcookies. Acceptrecommendedsettings Saveandclose