[Euthanasia in patients with cancer and the continuous-care providers].
During the clinical evolution of patients with cancer there are many occasions, or phases of the disease, when there are no specific treatments and, as such, we need to provide maximum comfort following appropriate symptom control; in this stage it is fundamental to respect personal autonomy together with the option to reject futile treatment. With appropriate control of symptoms it is possible to reach the stage where the majority of the patients do not continue to suffer. Continuous-care providers for cancer patients are those who are responsible for providing help to resolve these situations. In palliative medicine there are highly-efficacious procedures to the help in these last hours. Sedation is applied when it is impossible to control symptoms by other means. With appropriate Carer cover, it is not necessary to introduce laws on assisted suicide and/or active voluntary euthanasia, neither because of the magnitude of demand, nor because of the difficulties in achieving appropriate control of symptoms.
Camps Herrero
Carlos
C
Servicio de Oncología Médica, Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, España. camps_car@gva.es
Gavilá Gregori
Joaquín
J
Garde Noguera
Javier
J
Caballero Díaz
Cristina
C
Iranzo González-Cruz
Vega
V
Juárez Marroquí
Asunción
A
Safont Aguilera
Maria José
MJ
Blasco Cordellat
Ana
A
Berrocal Jaime
Alfonso
A
Sanz de Bremond
Maria Godes
MG
D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers; D005060:Europe; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D028601:Euthanasia, Active / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D005066:Euthanasia, Passive / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D018447:Medical Futility; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012297:Right to Die / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States