Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide increasingly being legalized, although still relatively uncommon

Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe are increasingly being legalized, but they remain relatively rare, and primarily involve patients with cancer, according to a study appearing in the July 5 issue of JAMA.

The authors found that between 0.3 percent to 4.6 percent of all deaths are reported as euthanasia or PAS in jurisdictions where they are legal. The frequency of these deaths increases after legalization. More than 70 percent of cases involved patients with cancer. Typical patients are older, white, and well-educated.

Read more from July 4 JAMA News Release.

Study mentioned:
Emanuel EJ, Onwuteaka-Philipsen BD, Urwin JW, Cohen J. Attitudes and Practices of Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe. JAMA. 2016;316(1):79-90.