ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the longest period in the Dance to Death, a total of 147 days and spans six months. It begins with the pivotal point when the diagnosis has been confirmed and plans for treatment with chemotherapy have been agreed. There are three stories: Treating, Turning and Living. Overnight the gloom of the formal diagnosis was quashed by the quick start of the treatment. The study team used time as a common currency to determine the impact of disease or disability on what might have otherwise been expected in a healthy lifespan. Two key standardized measures were devised: the Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) and the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). The chapter recounts and analyses the treatment phase of the Illness Period. The clinical team with responsibility for Jane's treatment plan was familiar with the concept through their local guidelines: Treatment is not usually curative.
