Dyspnoea in advanced cancer has been little investigated. We studied 303 patients admitted to Countess Mountbatten House to discover how common and how severe this symptom is, and in whom it occurs. Of these patients, 55.5% were dyspnoeic on admission. The prevalence of dyspnoea was 78.6%, however, in those surviving for less than a day after admission. The mean age was 65.9 years. Dyspnoea was more likely to be present in those with carcinoma of the bronchus and breast, and those with lung metastases. Of patients admitted, 11.4% were rated as severely dyspnoeic (3 on a scale of 0-3). Survival was significantly shorter as severity of dyspnoea increased.
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