The symptomatic relief of dyspnea

Dyspnea is a common symptom that causes considerable suffering in cancer patients. Although some knowledge of the sensory information that is transduced to the brain during dyspnea exists, we still have only a rudimentary understanding of the subjective perception of this symptom. There appear to be many parallels between pain and dyspnea. Consistent with this fact, there is growing evidence that opioids are safe and effective and should be considered front-line therapy for symptomatic relief of dyspnea. In addition to opioids, there are other important pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic tools with varying degrees of support that can be considered for symptomatic relief. Importantly, because dyspnea is a subjective symptom that occurs in a unique individual, the optimal treatment of dyspnea will always entail an understanding of, and support for, a patient's other sources of psychosocial, spiritual, and/or existential suffering.