[Attitude of cancer patients, their relatives, nurses and doctors to active euthanasia]

In this qualitative study the attitudes of the different groups of people to active euthanasia are described. 32 persons having incurable cancer, 13 relatives, 13 nurses and 13 doctors participated in the study. The study was carried out in two central hospitals and in four local hospitals. The data was collected by theme-interviews. The interviews were taped and transcribed. The interview-texts were analysed by content analysis. More than half of the participants in the study approved of active euthanasia. Among the relatives and the nurses the approval was most common. Also the attitudes of the doctors were more positive that it has been reported in the earlier studies. In the decision making concerning active euthanasia the persons with positive attitude emphasized the meaning of terminal illness, the existence of suffering and pain and the self-determination of the person. The persons with negative attitude said that a human being has no right to decide on the death of an other human being. The misuses, the uncertainty of the finality of the situation and the effective possibilities to the symptom control came out too. The doctors mentioned also the arguments concerning their own profession.