Attitudes Among Patients With Advanced Cancer Toward Euthanasia and Living Wills

Abstract

Euthanasia has been invariably discussed throughout Europe. In some countries, euthanasia has been legalized under specific conditions that must be fulfilled. These include a properly reported request to be considered carefully, unbearable suffering, no other reasonable alternatives, and a consultation with an independent physician. A living will, also called an advance directive, is a written document that allows a patient to give explicit instructions about medical treatments to be administered when the patient is terminally ill and unable to communicate. In Italy, euthanasia remains illegal, and living wills are not used. These issues have been the subject of constant debate.2 Such discussions, however, seem to take relatively little account of patients' knowledge, views, and attitudes. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of patients with advanced cancer toward euthanasia and living wills.The data of the present survey suggest that greater public knowledge about end-of-life care issues is needed. Possible legislation regarding these delicate problems should be preceded by adequate patient information and education. Further studies should assess the correlation between physicians' and patients' attitudes, as well social changes determining input for new legislation, preserving patients' rights.