Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19806370›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2010

Attitudes toward end-of-life situations other than euthanasia and assisted suicide among Portuguese oncologists.

José António Ferraz Gonçalves

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.

José António Ferraz GonçalvesInstituto Português de Oncologia, UCP-R, Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, Porto, Portugal. ferrazg@ipoporto.min-saude.pt
IPO Porto · PT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of this study was to determine the attitude of Portuguese oncologists toward end-of-life situations other than euthanasia and assisted suicide.

methodsThis study used a survey of 450 Portuguese oncologists by postal means and personal contact. MAIN

resultsThe response rate was 33% (143). Only 7.7% doctors would give lethal doses of drugs to someone with an incurable, advanced, and progressive disease that is unable to make decisions, at the request of a family member or other close person. However, 30 doctors (21.3%) would prefer, in the event they were in such a situation, that the drugs be given them at their request. None of the 12.4% who have received such requests admitted to committing any of those acts. Almost 70% of the doctors would withdraw life support measures at the patient's request if the same had an incurable, advanced, and progressive disease, and a further 14% would do it in certain circumstances, but only 41% would withdraw measures such as nutrition and hydration. Fewer doctors would withdraw such measures including nutrition and hydration at a family member's request or on their own initiative. Religion has a major influence on the doctors' opinion. Most doctors (96.5%) agreed with the administration of drugs for symptom control even foreseeing that they could shorten life.

conclusionMost Portuguese oncologists respect patients' autonomy, favoring the withdrawal of life support treatment at the patients' request when appropriate and much less do so on the request of others or by their own initiative. They appropriately do not confuse those practices with symptom relief even when hastened death can be envisaged.

Indexed as

Attitude of Health PersonnelDecision MakingEuthanasiaHumansLife Support CarePersonal AutonomyPhysiciansPortugalReligionSurveys and QuestionnairesTerminal CareWithholding Treatment

Identifiers

PMID19806370
OpenAlexW2066084602

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.