Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in cases of terminal cancer: the opinions of physicians and nurses in Greece.
The aim of this study was to investigate the opinions of physicians and nurses on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in advanced cancer patients in Greece. Two hundred and fifteen physicians and 250 nurses from various hospitals in Greece completed a questionnaire concerning issues on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. More physicians (43.3%) than nurses (3.2%, p < 0.0005) reported that in the case of a cardiac or respiratory arrest, they would not attempt to revive a terminally ill cancer patient. Only 1.9% of physicians and 3.6% of nurses agreed on physician-assisted suicide. Forty-seven per cent of physicians and 45.2% of nurses would prefer the legalization of a terminally ill patient's hastened death; in the case of such a request, 64.2% of physicians and 55.2% of nurses (p = 0.06) would consider it if it was legal. The majority of the participants tended to disagree with euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide in terminally ill cancer patients, probably due to the fact that these acts in Greece are illegal.
Parpa
Efi
E
Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, Dept. of Radiology, Areteion Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Greece.
Mystakidou
Kyriaki
K
Tsilika
Eleni
E
Sakkas
Pavlos
P
Patiraki
Elisabeth
E
Pistevou-Gombaki
Kyriaki
K
Govina
Ourania
O
Vlahos
Lambros
L
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005065:Euthanasia; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms; D017236:Suicide, Assisted; D019452:Terminally Ill