ABSTRACT
Constipation occurs in approximately half of all patients with advanced cancer3-5 and in over 85% of patients receiving opioids. 1·3 It also occurs in a large number of patients with advanced disease of many other causes. Several causes and conse~uences of constipation in palliative care patients have been reported. ·2 In one case series of cancer patients, constipation was a more frequent cause of severe distress than pain.6 Few clinical trials have evaluated the efficacy of medications for constipation in palliative care patients. Table 1 summarizes the evidence from available trials for managing constipation with pharmacologic interventions.
