By Arthur Caplan
A new piece by Art Caplan on why he believes a minor can’t say no to chemotherapy, on NBC News:
A 17-year-old girl, listed in court papers only as Cassandra C., is in protective custody at a Connecticut hospital where she is being forced to undergo chemotherapy treatment that she says she does not want. Americans strongly value the right to refuse medical care.
We are all familiar with situations in which Jehovah’s Witnesses say no to life-saving blood transfusions, patients refuse any more surgery or artificial ventilation, and ill people forgo proven medical interventions to follow alternative care.
But those cases involve competent adults.
Cassandra is 17 — still a minor. Should she have the right to say no? I don’t think so.
Read the full article here.
