Factors influencing euthanasiaIn the 4 September issue of The British. In the medical journal The Lancet, Canadian researchers report that the "will to live" of dying patients likely shows "substantial fluctuations" due to changes in both physical and mental factors. Dr. Harvey Chochinov of the University of Manitoba and his colleagues assessed "will to live" twice daily in 168 mentally competent cancer patients admitted to palliative care and correlated this with a variety of other factors. Patients ranged in age from 31 to 89 years; they survived an average of 18 days, although one woman lived more than 150 days. The factors that had the greatest impact on the will to live were "depression, anxiety, shortness of breath and sense of well-being." The most important factor varied depending on the stage of the disease. During the initial course of a patient's illness, anxiety was the dominant factor; depression became more prominent later, and shortness of breath was the main factor that suppressed the will to live when death became imminent. The study confirmed that, at least during much of the course of a terminal illness, psychological factors have a greater impact on the desire for death than factors such as physical pain. Numerous US studies have established that Americans most directly affected by the problem of medically assisted suicide - those who are frail, elderly and suffering from terminal illnesses - are also more opposed to legalizing the practice than others:* A poll conducted for the Washington Post on March 22-26, 1996, found that 50% of them are in favor of legalization. Physician-assisted suicide (Washington A18) Voters ages 35 to 44 favor legalization, 57% to 33%. But those numbers reversed for voters 65 and older, who opposed legalization by 54% to 38%. Majority opposition was also found among those with incomes under $15,000 (54 percent) and among black Americans (70 percent).* An August 1993 Roper poll, funded by the Hemlock Society and other advocates of euthanasia, indicated that voters aged 18 to 29 supported "doctor intervention." assisted suicide" by 47% to 35%; voters aged 60 and older opposed it by 45% to 35%. Hemlock's newsletter commented that "the younger the person, the more likely he or she is in favor of this legislation." The newsletter added that "this is somewhat at odds with how Hemlock views his members," since he sees himself as championing the interests of senior citizens. (Humphry; Poll 9) One study of cancer patients found that terminally ill patients experiencing significant pain are more averse to assisted suicide than other terminally ill patients or the general public.