Prognosis of 6 months - does that mean my husband will die in 6 months?

Hi Crispy55,

I’m Dylan from the Community team. I hope you don’t mind me posting here today. I wanted to offer some support whilst you wait for other forum members to reply.

I was very sorry to read about your husband's prognosis. Receiving this kind of prognosis can be overwhelming and it's very natural to experience a whirlwind of emotions including shock and disbelief. It's understandable that you are both finding this hard to accept. An important thing for you to remember is that you do not have to navigate this alone. You will need to take things day by day and ask for further support when you need it. 

The Online Community is here to provide understanding, compassion, and a safe space for you to share your feelings and experiences openly. 

Regarding your question. Our Community team is not clinically trained so I will include some information that has been written by some of our Macmillan experts. If you would like to read more about how doctors estimate a prognosis and what it means, you can click here.

This is an excerpt from that page:

"Some people may want to know exactly how long they have to live, so that they can make plans. But it can be difficult for your cancer doctor to give an exact prognosis. Usually, they will only be able to give a range of time. For example this might be a few months to a year. This is still only an estimate based on all the facts, and could be shorter or longer."

We would recommend speaking with your GP or medical team about the prognosis and they should be able to answer any questions that you have. 

If you would like to speak to someone at Macmillan for additional support, please keep in mind that we have experts available on our Ask an Information and Support Adviser forum and our Support Line. Our support team are available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm on freephone 0808 808 00 00, email or live webchat. They are here to listen and help you find the right support. They’re here to chat, and they can also help with any questions you have. 

If you have any questions about the site or further support, please let us know. You can either message us via the private messaging system, or you can drop us an email at community@macmillan.org.uk.

 Thank you for replying Dylan. We knew the cancer was incurable but the prognosis seems so final. It was in a letter between Oncology and Paediatrics Consultants when considering whether my husband was suitable for an operation or not. They decided it was too risky.

We wait now until next Friday to talk more about this and if there is anything they can do to help. My husband is in a lot of pain with a secondary kidney tumour in his hip bone and cannot walk now. He was diagnosed in February but has had no treatment yet apart from pain management. It is all very harrowing and scary. The Hospice doctor is very kind but can only tell us so much. 

The trouble is that just knowing the medical facts doesn’t prepare you emotionally. 
Thank you for reading my outpouring anyway. 

Its very difficult for them to give a specific time. They go on experience of past cases but everyone is different. When my partner was in the hospice, there was a lady in there who was given 6 months two years previously, so you just never know, it depends on so many factors. Sending huge hugs, always around for a chat x

Thank you 

• The simple answer is no they can't give you a timescale,   My sister was given 4 to 6 months when she was diagnosis with stage four esophageal cancer. She couldn't tolerate chemotherapy so only had one treatment , in the end she lived for just over two year's with a mixture of good days and bad. 

That is a really good thing to hear. Thank you! 

You are very welcome 

I’m so sorry to here about your husbands secondary cancer diagnosis. I just want you to know there are may of us trying to understand and come to terms with things that feel mentally unbearable to deal with.  My mum had stage 4 glioblastoma brain tumour and was given a life expectancy of between 9-12 months with treatment. We are now at 22 months and the tumour is still stable. We are under no illusion that things can change and mum has been left partially paralysed from a sever seizure but she’s a fighter and very stubborn. I think we just need to remember the Consultants give us guidance it’s not a definite timeframe as people deal with things different to others and many factors may come into play. We take things day by day and are thankful for every day she is with us. Be strong and be kind to yourselves your both doing an amazing job x

• That’s very helpful to know Dawn, thank you. I wish all the best for you and your mum.
  My husband is in a lot of pain with his bone tumour and cannot walk, so he is very frustrated. He has always been an active man. We are at the hospital today to discuss treatment so we will soldier on and hope that will help to give him some quality of life that he has left.