Today, the approaches to the fatal illnesses have changed crucially in comparison with any other epoch. While decades ago such illnesses as cancer, diabetes, AIDS were the true dooms, the contemporary level of health care makes possible for the patients with these illnesses to recover. Obviously, the new approaches and technological opportunities imply the appearance of the new moral concerns, connected with the doctors’ reaction and prognosis for the patients with fatal illnesses.

The contemporary doctors should be more optimistic to the patients with fatal illnesses, because the term “fatal” has changed crucially recently. Due to the rapid transformations in medical science and application of the innovative approaches to diagnostics and treatment, the patients with fatal illnesses have more chances to recover, than ever. Besides, it is important to remember that medical science is a system of human knowledge, gathered and verified by the humans. It depends on the level of medical education and personal awareness greatly. It means that any illness is treated in accordance with an approach, known today. However, today’s treatment cannot be considered the only possible, as there are still numerous unknown issues about the human possibilities to survive. Obviously, the doctors should be careful, getting rid of treatment of fatally ill patients, since their knowledge can be not enough to make the negative prognosis come true.

A decision to be treated via the alternative medicine is always referred to an individual choice. This question means more a concern of trust and moral responsibility, than rational reasoning. In case a patient trusts a traditional doctor, who offers an operation, the patient has the right to agree with the traditional treatment. The alternative approach implies that the patient can recover from inside, using own mental and physical reserves to overcome the illness. In case of misbalance between the somatic and mental systems, the alternative treatment can be ineffective for a patient with fatal disease.

Accepting death can be the best alternative for a patient, who has tried everything possible to overcome a disease, including both traditional and alternative medicine. Accepting death should be considered a final stage of life, which is inevitable in any case. In case the death is perceived as appeasement, it is better to accept it. Moreover, final relax may have an inverse effect, since the mental comfort and calm may affect the patient positively and reduce the symptoms of a disease. In case the nervous system calms down, the patient can even overcome his or her fatal illness or at least fell better.

Besides, it is possible to imply that a person, supported by religious faith or some spiritual practice, can easily accept own death, than an atheist. Life in accordance with some greater purpose seems more rational. Obviously, a person, who accepts his or her inevitable death, may overcome fear. Perception of physical life as something that cannot end on the Earth helps to be aware of own future perspectives as eternal being. Precisely some greater purpose helps a person to understand own physical perishability and inability to catch the life forever. Changing nature of human health is painful to realize, that is why, awareness of spiritual values and being, which will continue after the death, is the main tool to accept own mortality. The world’s religions highlight the necessity to believe in heaven and life after a physical death, that is why, the majority of people continue this tradition. A greater purpose means a sufficient support in life, especially in cases, when the death coming becomes inevitable for a person.