ABSTRACT
This chapter considers all the patient's symptoms and all the information available to doctors and assesses the symptoms, signs and information given using this to choose the appropriate remedies for the problem and offers extra information where available and appropriate. Breathlessness is a common symptom among cancer patients, with a prevalence of around 40%. Breathlessness in the cancer patient has many possible causes. It is important to identify all of the causes and to deal with each of them. Non-malignant causes of dyspnoea may coexist with the cancer and should not be overlooked because a new disease is present. Acknowledge the fear associated with breathlessness and address the patient's fears associated with suffocation and dying during an attack of dyspnoea. These are real fears and must not be overlooked or underestimated, even though the chances of such an event happening may be small.
