In advanced cancer, breathlessness is complex and usually multifactorial, and therapeutic advances in the clinical management of dyspnea are limited. Palliation of breathlessness and an evidence-based approach by a committed multidisciplinary team can improve patient care considerably. A careful assessment of the patient, cause of breathlessness, and pharmacological palliation is a first step. This Review discusses the evidence for our present understanding of breathlessness and the many unanswered questions regarding the genesis and management of this symptom.
- Sara Booth
- Shakeeb H Moosavi
- Irene J Higginson
