| "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A desire for hastened death is uncommon among patients with advanced cancer, despite considerable levels of pain and emotional distress, new research suggests. " ""The desire for hastened death has been associated with depression, hopelessness, physical suffering, low social support, poor spiritual well being, and low self-esteem in a number of studies of patients at the end of life," researchers note in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. " "For their research, Dr. Gary Rodin, of University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, had 326 adults with advanced gastrointestinal or lung cancer answer questions about pain, depression, hopelessness, social support, function, chronic illness, self-esteem, spiritual well-being, and attitudes toward hastened death." "All of them were expected to live at least 6 months. About 63 percent of these individuals were younger than age 65 years, 34 percent were recently diagnosed (within 6 months), and about 62 percent were receiving chemotherapy. " "Overall, 51 percent of the group reported pain, with 17 percent rating their pain intensity as moderate to severe. Twenty-three percent reported elevated levels
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