Speaking as one who has both lived with cancer for 14 years and observed dementia patients at end of life, I'm not convinced one can even compare the two. On the one hand, dementia robs you of your life long before death brings peace...on the other, living with cancer can be equally terrifying. However, I speak as one who still (at age 77) has his memories, so I can't compare my experience with loss of memory...youth, marriage, family...I can't image how terrible that must be.