The treatment of dyspnoea is a considerable challenge in palliative care. Respiratory problems, besides pain, belong to the most common symptoms of terminally ill patients. Invasiveness of diagnostic measures and treatment options demand a critical evaluation of the patient's burden and the expected relief by the therapy. On the basis of a case study of a lung cancer patient, the complexity of different causes of dyspnoea will be discussed. Special consideration will be taken to the psychosocial dimension of dyspnoea.