In most parts of the world, the majority of cancer patients
suffer an advanced stage of the disease, which unfortunately is
not responsive to curative treatment. Nearly 75% of patients
with advanced cancer experience pain, very often in conjunction
with many other symptoms, such as asthenia, anorexia and
malnutrition, skin problems, dry mouth or thirst, constipation,
nausea or vomiting, anxiety, low mood, depression, confusion and
sleeplessness (1,2). For such patients, the only available
management is palliative care, which focuses mainly on pain
relief (3). Palliative care is an approach that improves the
quality of life of patients through the prevention and relief of
suffering. To meet the multiple and varying needs of the
patients, it is believed that the care should be holistic,
multidisciplinary, and family - as well as patient - centred.
The aims of palliative care are achieved by: • providing relief
from pain and other distressing symptoms; • affirming life and
regarding dying as a normal process; •