is it suicide?

Question

if you know deep down you have cancer and dont seek treatment till you know its to late to help ( you just want pain relief ) can this be deemed as suicide

Answer 1

I don't think so. Many people with cancer are allright until they start going for treatment. The treatment has such adverse affect that this is when they really get sick. I think each person has to make this difficult choice for themselves. There are no moral issues involved.

Answer 2

Nope. Cancer is a terminal illness in many cases. Many forms of cancer unleash themselves up on a person without choice.

Some people dont believe in medical treatment. There are in fact several religions that forbid its followers from seeking specific types of treatment or to even go to a modern hospital. A belief can be argued as to whether it is valid or sane, but it cant be deemed sucide.

Answer 3

It would depend on your definition of Suicide. Mine is choosing when you die, whether by taking something or refusing something. My partners is when you purposefully take or do something to end your life.

How do you know that you have cancer ? it could be any number of treatable things. Cancer in itself is not a death sentence any more. I would personally want to know for definite what the medical diagnosis was before I made an informed choice of what I wish to do.

If it was cancer and I chose no treatment then I do think it would be a form of voluntary suicide (I probably would refuse treatment if it was terminal anyway).
If you chose not to go to the doctors to even get a diagnoses then I don't think it could be called suicide as such, but I do think you would be foolish to wait until it was too late to get treatment as it might be a very easily treatable disease if caught early enough.

So in conclusion I think yes it would be a form of voluntary suicide but my partner says no its not.

Answer 4

Depends on the cancer. Some cancers have no guarantee of cure with treatment, and many people choose not to undergo harsh side effects - going for 'quality' rather than 'quantity', and that's entirely their choice.

Everyone has the right to refuse medical treatment - it's not suicide. Nature is passing the death sentance, not the person with the condition.

Answer 5

There is something to be said for getting the most out of a short time rather than using that time to have treatment that will not succeed.
It would only be suicide if the patient refused treatment that would have a good chance of success.

Answer 6

No, I don't think you can call it suicide. I'd call it denial of the inevitable.

Knowing or suspecting you have cancer is just that "suspecting"; absent a medical diognoses, it's all guesswork. Then having it, and saying it is suicidal knot to "cure it" is another step beyond reality; as advanced cancer has few cures, yet some. So, the choice of death and dying is probably not the patients anyway.

Answer 7

I don't think so. it's a passive death rather than suicide, because you simply choose not to fight the cancer. Whereas with suicide one usually commits a deed than brings on death like taking an overdose or jumping from a motorway bridge.

Answer 8

No, not suicide...Just choice.

An 18 year old, newly passing his/her driving test and crashing into a tree at 90 mph is suicide.

Answer 9

Suicide is the talking of one's life. Letting a disease progress is neglecting your life. the cancer ends your life, not you.

Answer 10

First are you a doctor? And how do you know it is cancer?
I would not call it sucide but neglect.