Journal of Cancer Education
ISSN: 0885-8195 (Print) 1543-0154 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjce20
Letter to the editor Geert H. Blijham To cite this article: Geert H. Blijham (1990) Letter to the editor, Journal of Cancer Education, 5:2, 103-103 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08858199009528052
Published online: 01 Oct 2009.
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Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=hjce20 Download by: [Universite Laval]
Date: 06 August 2017, At: 20:35
0885-8195/90 $3.00 + .00 © 1990 American Association for Cancer Education
J. Cancer Education. Vol. 5, No. 2. p. 103. 1990 Printed in the U.S.A. Pcrgamon Press pic
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
lough compare the physician involved in active euthanasia with the physician assisting in To the Editor. — Recently, the current the execution of prisoners. Not only is this practice of active euthanasia in the Nethercomparison extremely insulting to the author lands has again been responsible for some of the original contribution to the Journal, it heated debate, this time in the Journal of also serves to illustrate to which low levels of Cancer Education. I do not intend to contribargument the discussion of active euthanasia ute to this discussion by repetition of the armay descend, once things are simplified to the guments, that, in the various letters, were put final act. Whoever is speaking or writing on forward in an exhaustive and vigorous way. active euthanasia, this person (and a fortiori In the end, it all boils down to the question of a doctor) should put it in the perspective of whether the process of dying is considered to a process of caring for patients with an inbe part of the process of being ill; if so, assistevitably lethal, frightful, sometimes painful ing in dying is equivalent to assisting in cur(despite analgesics!), and often debilitating ing and caring, which all are to be carried out state of disease. Comparing active euthanasia in accordance with the desires of the patient with an execution, instead of being a useful and the professional knowledge of the physisimplification, therefore makes a caricature cian. If one considers death to be an alof medical care in general and cancer care in together different event not to be subjected to particular. Apparently, for some a discussion medical interventions or judgments, one on dying entirely blurs the perspective on carrightfully should not perform active euthanaing. I strongly feel that such a serious and, sia. I doubt, whether this may also rightfully for our profession, insulting mistake should be forbidden to other physicians; I certainly not pass unnoticed. consider many of the arguments to do so as Education, in Latin, means "leading out." artificial. It refers to a process of leading individuals In this respect, I would like to point out out of their original environment to find new that many cancer specialists have no problems grounds, other challenges, better answers. with putting patients on phase I trials, treatFor this, simplifications may be helpful, proment which we all know is much more likely vided that they are enlightening instead of obto do harm (including death) than good. Does scuring and stimulate real discussion instead this practice not carry the risk of abuse or of of name calling. Comparing physicians inapplication to patients with the wrong diagvolved in active euthanasia with those assistnosis? The ethics of phase I trials in cancer medicine are complex and call for adequate ing at executions is neither intellectually nor information and protection of the patient. If educationally justified and productive. This this is assured, many of us (including myself) Journal should not be a forum for such an consider it ethical to follow the patient in his attitude.
Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 20:35 06 August 2017
EDUCATORS, DEATH, AND DYING
or her desire to be subjected to a treatment, which in close to 100% of cases is neither curative nor palliating. Such is the ethics of medical care. I am writing to you in particular because of one sentence in one of the letters devoted to this subject, which should not pass without comment. In their letter, Haley and McCul-
GEERT H. BLIJHAM
Professor of Medical Oncology Department of Internal Medicine Academic Hospital Maastricht Maastricht, The Netherlands
103
ISSN: 0885-8195 (Print) 1543-0154 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjce20
Letter to the editor Geert H. Blijham To cite this article: Geert H. Blijham (1990) Letter to the editor, Journal of Cancer Education, 5:2, 103-103 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08858199009528052
Published online: 01 Oct 2009.
Submit your article to this journal
View related articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=hjce20 Download by: [Universite Laval]
Date: 06 August 2017, At: 20:35
0885-8195/90 $3.00 + .00 © 1990 American Association for Cancer Education
J. Cancer Education. Vol. 5, No. 2. p. 103. 1990 Printed in the U.S.A. Pcrgamon Press pic
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
lough compare the physician involved in active euthanasia with the physician assisting in To the Editor. — Recently, the current the execution of prisoners. Not only is this practice of active euthanasia in the Nethercomparison extremely insulting to the author lands has again been responsible for some of the original contribution to the Journal, it heated debate, this time in the Journal of also serves to illustrate to which low levels of Cancer Education. I do not intend to contribargument the discussion of active euthanasia ute to this discussion by repetition of the armay descend, once things are simplified to the guments, that, in the various letters, were put final act. Whoever is speaking or writing on forward in an exhaustive and vigorous way. active euthanasia, this person (and a fortiori In the end, it all boils down to the question of a doctor) should put it in the perspective of whether the process of dying is considered to a process of caring for patients with an inbe part of the process of being ill; if so, assistevitably lethal, frightful, sometimes painful ing in dying is equivalent to assisting in cur(despite analgesics!), and often debilitating ing and caring, which all are to be carried out state of disease. Comparing active euthanasia in accordance with the desires of the patient with an execution, instead of being a useful and the professional knowledge of the physisimplification, therefore makes a caricature cian. If one considers death to be an alof medical care in general and cancer care in together different event not to be subjected to particular. Apparently, for some a discussion medical interventions or judgments, one on dying entirely blurs the perspective on carrightfully should not perform active euthanaing. I strongly feel that such a serious and, sia. I doubt, whether this may also rightfully for our profession, insulting mistake should be forbidden to other physicians; I certainly not pass unnoticed. consider many of the arguments to do so as Education, in Latin, means "leading out." artificial. It refers to a process of leading individuals In this respect, I would like to point out out of their original environment to find new that many cancer specialists have no problems grounds, other challenges, better answers. with putting patients on phase I trials, treatFor this, simplifications may be helpful, proment which we all know is much more likely vided that they are enlightening instead of obto do harm (including death) than good. Does scuring and stimulate real discussion instead this practice not carry the risk of abuse or of of name calling. Comparing physicians inapplication to patients with the wrong diagvolved in active euthanasia with those assistnosis? The ethics of phase I trials in cancer medicine are complex and call for adequate ing at executions is neither intellectually nor information and protection of the patient. If educationally justified and productive. This this is assured, many of us (including myself) Journal should not be a forum for such an consider it ethical to follow the patient in his attitude.
Downloaded by [Universite Laval] at 20:35 06 August 2017
EDUCATORS, DEATH, AND DYING
or her desire to be subjected to a treatment, which in close to 100% of cases is neither curative nor palliating. Such is the ethics of medical care. I am writing to you in particular because of one sentence in one of the letters devoted to this subject, which should not pass without comment. In their letter, Haley and McCul-
GEERT H. BLIJHAM
Professor of Medical Oncology Department of Internal Medicine Academic Hospital Maastricht Maastricht, The Netherlands
103
