Dyspnoea (breathlessness) is an uncomfortable awareness of breathing that occurs in approximately 30-75% of terminal cancer patients. It is one of the most distressing symptoms for both patients and family members and can seriously impact on quality of life. Typically, dyspnoea is associated with congestive heart failure, end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or lung cancer. This book provides palliative care doctors and specialist nurses with practical guidelines to help manage and treat patients with breathlessness. It includes the science behind the symptom in an attempt to explain the pathology and physiology of this complex condition. The book has been organized to address generalized aspects of breathlessness in advanced illness and more specific aetiologies and managements relevant to particular underlying diseases. It summarizes the epidemiology and the pathophysiology of breathlessness, measurement, research approaches, rehabilitation and exercise, clinical approaches that can be taken at the bedside, pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, and surgical interventions. The care of patients with dyspnoea requires input from a variety of disciplines such as palliative care, physiotherapy, respiratory medicine and nursing, and this is reflected in the multidisciplinary list of contributors.

Sara Booth's profile page

Deborah Dudgeon's profile page

Sara Booth is at Macmillan Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Director of Palliative Care Service, Addenbrooke's Palliative Care Service, Cambridge, UK. Deborah Dudgeon is at W Ford Connell Professor of Palliative Care Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

'The authors should be commended for putting together an interesting and relevant book...Coverage of the British Thoracic Society guidelines...was clear, concise and extremely relevant...A laminated copy should be on every medical assessment unit wall! This is a very interesting book, and relevant to the clinical practice of many. It would be a welcome addition to the clinical library of respiratory, oncology and palliative care units.' Oncology News, Vol. 1:4