Informed consent and patient's right for self-determination in oncology

Informed consent is currently an ethical, medical and legal requirement. In creasing public discussion concerning real or supposed malpractice has caus ed patients to adopt a critical attitude and has caused courts to increasin gly demand informed consent for patients. Unfortunately, the legal requirem ents for informed consent have developed from atypical situations involving dissatisfied and injured patients rather than from the more common occurre nce of physicians helping patients and having satisfied patients. in additi on, the law has failed to establish explicit guidelines for physicians. We review the elements of informed consent based on current Austrian and Ge rman jurisdiction in the particular field of oncology and summarise the leg al and medical realities with the aim of delineating specific criteria for decision making.