Part of the Oxford Case Histories series, this book guides medical professionals and trainees through 52 cases curated to illustrate the varied and often complex landscape of palliative medicine. From advanced symptom management in non-malignant disease, to working in parallel with allied specialties such as oncology, this book equips readers with diagnostic skills and clinical reasoning that helps temper knowledge and understanding with pragmatism and practicality in the face of life-limiting illness.

Based on the core clinical curriculum for higher specialist training in palliative medicine, each case starts with a short vignette, followed by further information or study results, before a series of questions ask for potential diagnoses, actions, or knowledge recall. Answers are accompanied by discussion and suggestions for further reading, enabling readers to gain the necessary skills for confident and competent diagnosis and management. In addition, a selection of non-clinical cases examines other critical areas of frequently engaged expertise for the palliative care physician, exploring themes of advance care planning, resuscitation decisions, ethics, spirituality, and UK law, ensuring broad relevance to anyone looking after those with advanced incurable disease.