Recent onset of abdominal pain in a patient with advanced breast cancer.

Abdominal pain is a frequent complaint heard in medical practice. For palliative care patients, there are numerous causes of abdominal pain. Because of the non-invasive nature of palliative care practice, emphasis is made on minimal investigations. We present a case of a 49-year old patient who developed progressive abdominal pain and was found to have gangrenous appendicitis. The patient underwent surgery and was able to be discharged home. Our findings suggest that any new pain in a cancer patient must be carefully evaluated. Because of the presence of opioid analgesics and corticosteroids, symptoms can be less severe and related to diagnosis in palliative care patients.