[ICU admission for cancer patients with respiratory failure: An ethical dilemma]

In medicine, each decision is the result of a trade-off between medical scientific data, the rights of individuals (protection of persons, information, consent), individual desires, collective values and norms, and the economic constraints that guide our society. Whether or not to admit a cancer patient to an intensive care unit is very often an ethical dilemma. It is necessary to distinguish patients who would benefit from admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) from those for whom it would be futile. In this review, we will discuss the appropriateness of ICU admission and the concept of unreasonable admission, along with the different levels of intensity of ICU care and the alternatives to intensive care. We will then consider how and when to initiate reflection leading to a reasonable decision for the patient.