Views on Physician-Assisted Suicide Among Family Members of Oregon Cancer Patients

Ninety-eight Oregonians with advanced cancer and their family members participated in a cross-sectional survey to understand agreement in views on physician-assisted suicide (PAS), which was a legal option for these patients. Half of the family members would support the patient's request for PAS, 30% would oppose it, and 19% were undecided. Low religiousness and the family member's personal health concerns were associated with increasing support by the family member for PAS for the patient. Family members were able to predict patients' political views on legalized PAS, and there was moderately high agreement among family members on political views. Family members, however, were not knowledgeable about patients' interest in PAS for themselves, and there was low agreement among dyads on whether they had discussed this issue. Improved knowledge of patient-based barriers to discussing PAS may facilitate interventions for psychosocial distress in cancer patients.