Attitudes of cancer patients, their family members and health professionals toward active euthanasia

This qualitative study describes the attitudes of four groups of people in cancer care toward active euthanasia. Patients (32) with incurable cancer, their family members (13), nurses (13) and physicians (13) participated in the study which was carried out in two central hospitals and in four health centres in Finland. The data was collected by means of focused interviews which were taped, transcribed and then analysed by content analysis. More than half of the participants said that they could ethically justify active euthanasia. Most of these were family members and nurses. The main reasons for their ethical justification were the terminal illness of the patient, the presence of suffering and pain and the patient’s own request. Those who could not justify active euthanasia said that one human being has no right to decide death of another. Potential abuse, uncertainty about the finality of the situation, the possibility of effective alleviation of symptoms and the effects which the practice might have on medical staff were also mentioned by this group. The results of this study support the assumption given in the earlier literature that attitudes toward active euthanasia are most positive where terminally ill cancer patients are concerned.