Ethical Issues and Palliative Care in Advanced Breast Cancer Patients

Everybody dies; some at home and some in ahospital. Lucky people die in situations where theymay receive both physical and emotional care. Endof-life care is a part of palliative care provided in thelast days of patients’ life to allow them to die withdignity. End-of-life care priorities includecommunicating about prognosis, discussing themedical futility, assisting with decisions on invasiveprocedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation ormechanical ventilation, and planning for prudentpain and symptom management. While patients areconsidered the center of the care, their relatives arecommonly forgotten. Questions such as what theyshould be expecting in the next hours or days, orwhat they should know about dying, death and after,remain unanswered.