Cancer is the best way to die

Physician calls for the cessation of cancer research

03/01/2015

„I want to die quickly and best in my sleep“, says Franziska (22). Most people are afraid of death. People should think about how they want to die, says the renowned physician Richard Smith. In a provocative way, he brings people closer to death. „Cancer death is the best“, says Smith. „Cancers allow enough of the relatives to say goodbye and prepare for death.“

Benefits of the cancer
"One can reflect on life, leave the latest news, visit special places for the last time, listen to favorite music and read favorite poems - and, according to one's faith, prepare for the meeting with the Creator or enjoy eternal oblivion," says Smith. He is a professor at the English University of Warwick. In addition, he is head of the Ovations Initiative, which fights chronic diseases in poor countries. The physician is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Patients Know Best. This is a social network where patients can manage their medical records and open them to doctors. In addition, the expert is a board member of the science magazine "PLoS" and published the internationally recognized journal "British Medical Journal" by the end of 2004. So it's not just any doctor who shares his opinion on the subject, but a highly respected researcher and specialist. It's important to Smith, „ready for death“.

Four different ways of dying
Smith explains the four types of death that affect a person. On the one hand there is the quick and sudden death that comes without warning. This happens, for example, by an accident or a serious heart attack, which causes a sudden cardiac death. A long and slow death, however, happens through dementia and Alzheimer's. The „Up and down death“ happened by organ failure and death predicted by cancer happens predicted.

The scientist distinguishes the type of death on the meta-level. "I often ask my audience how they want to die," he writes. "And most would choose to die suddenly." For the one who dies, that may be good, says the researcher. However, the relatives suffer very badly because they could not say goodbye and possibly left unresolved relationships. Many are not „quite right“ and that hurts. "If you want to die suddenly, you live every day as if it were your last," he writes. "Make sure all the important relationships are in good shape, all your affairs done, and the instructions for your funeral written and in the top drawer - or, perhaps better, on Facebook."

However, death after a long illness of dementia is no better. In the opinion of the doctor, this is even the worst, since those affected are slowly erased. The death by organ failure was also not very nice. The death of the patient is placed too much in the hands of the doctors. You have to decide when a death is justified. But the „Most doctors treat for too long“, so Smith. Because it is very difficult to say, „when it is actually over“. Therefore, be, „death by cancer is the best“. Smith admitted that it was „a romantic idea“ However, the time before death is very important for everyone involved.

Love, morphine and whiskey instead of healing
Smith is also very pragmatic about the suffering to be expected. "Love, morphine and whiskey" are the means of choice to relieve the pain of cancer death. The doctor even goes one step further. He calls for research to stop cancer. "Stay away from over-ambitious oncologists, and let's stop wasting billions, trying to cure cancer, and leaving us to much worse death." That's the best option for an aging society, Smith said.

Much criticism from those affected and relatives
But these radical and yet comprehensible thoughts do not remain without contradiction. In social networks such as Twitter or Facebook, the approaches are controversial. „What about the children with cancer? Should you just let her die??“, a user asks. Others even swear at Smith „Nihilistic“, „Inhuman“ or as „Ignorant“. Also under the actual text of the doctor are numerous critical comments. Some criticized „the ease with which the physician goes beyond the physical and psychological suffering of the patient. The approaches are „callous heartless“, writes a user who lost his brother to cancer.

Even more critical writes another user who suffers from bone cancer in the terminal. „Do not you dare tell me that curing cancer is not in my favor“. But there is also encouragement. So writes another: „Thanks for this taboo break. We have to learn to speak more openly about our transience“. That may „have also been controversial“. (Sb)