Halachic Considerations in Cancer Prevention and Management

Includes practical information and guidance

Few words in the dictionary are more frightening than "cancer." For Torah-observant Jews, there is an added element of complexity when it comes to cancer, whether regarding preventive measures or, R"l, an actual diagnosis.

• At what age should we screen for certain cancers, and to what extent are we halachically obligated to do so?
• In which situations does the medical community recommend prophylactic surgery, and does halachah require a person to undergo such surgeries?
• Is it permissible and/or required to participate in clinical trials when standard treatment options fail to control a person's cancer?
• What degree of autonomy does halachah grant a patient with metastatic cancer who is at the end of his or her life?