Palliative care for the patient without cancer.

Background: Palliative care aims to improve quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses. It is often linked to the care of people with cancer; however, patients with non-cancer end-stage conditions also have significant needs.

Objectives: The aims of this paper are to discuss common trajectories of deterioration in non-malignant conditions, consider possible barriers to palliative care referral, review the principles of the palliative care approach and illustrate specific factors relevant for common non-cancer conditions.