ABSTRACT
Palliative care is defined by the World Health Organisation as 'an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness. Palliative care can co-exist with treatment with curative intent. The decision to make the transition from treatment with curative intent to palliation requires careful planning and communication. Good communication is essential to end of life care and needs to be centred on the patient and their contacts. There needs to be sufficient information about the rationale from switching the focus of care and what this will entail. Hypercalcaemia can present with a variety of features ranging from confusion, nausea, thirst, and abdominal pain to seizures and coma. Treatment of hypercalcaemia will depend on prior history, patient preference and the appropriateness of treatment in advanced disease. Superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction impedes venous return to the heart and can be caused by mediastinal lymphadenopathy, lung cancer and venous access.
