My stepdad has been told that chemo has not worked and the cancer has spread to his bones with shadows in his lungs. He has been told that he has months rather than years with no more treatment being given. He keeps saying he feels fine and is now at the pub every day drinking alcohol with his friends. I appreciate that after the diagnosis he is doing what he wants while he can. Will the alcohol speed up the inevitable?
Hello Lollyg66,
Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to our online community.
My name is Carole and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line.
Being told that treatment has stopped working can cause a range of emotions.
Spending time with friends can help people to cope.
However, it’s only natural to ask whether drinking alcohol every day could speed up the inevitable.
It can be difficult for cancer doctors to give an exact prognosis, and therefore they’ll often only be able to give a range of time, like they have done for your stepdad.
Many factors can affect prognosis, and as nurses on this platform we can’t say how alcohol could affect what could happen with your stepdad’s cancer. This is because we don’t have access to medical notes. It might be difficult for his hospital team or GP to fully explain what could happen, but they are best placed to answer. You might need to ask your stepdad to give permission for you to speak to his team about prognosis.
If you are worried about his drinking or if he’s taking medication as well, you could raise your concerns with his hospital team or GP. Or if he’s being supported by a palliative care team, you could have a word with them.
I hope this helps. I can see from your profile that you’ve joined a few of our online groups. I hope they’ll be a good source of support. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch again, here or on the Support Line if you’d like to speak to one of the nurses.
Sending best wishes,
Carole
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or email us.
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