Terminal illness

Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is reasonably expected to result in death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer or advanced heart disease than for trauma. In popular use, it shows a disease that will progress until death with near absolute certainty, regardless of treatment. A patient who has such an illness may be referred to as a terminal patient, terminally ill or terminal. There is no standardized life expectancy for a patient to be considered terminal, although it is months or less. Life expectancy for terminal patients is a rough estimate given by the physician based on previous data and does not always reflect true longevity. An illness which is lifelong but not fatal is a chronic condition.