ABSTRACT
Pruritus (or itch) is a skin sensation leading to a desire to scratch. The terms itch and pruritus are used interchangeably in this chapter.
Five per cent of patients with advanced cancer are reported to experience pruritus. It is more common in end-stage human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is reported in 70 per cent of patients with end-stage renal failure and in 80 per cent with cholestasis.
