15th March 2022

A 72-year-old man who is under the care of your GP practice has recently been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma

A 72-year-old man who is under the care of your GP practice has recently been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, and has been given a prognosis of less than a year to live. He has made an appointment with you to discuss his diagnosis, and specifically would like some guidance on how to make instructions about his future care. He tells you that he wants to make clear that if he is too unwell to make a decision, he would not like to receive treatments that “make me live longer than I have to”.

Which of the following statements about this case is correct?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.