Benzodiazepines for the relief of breathlessness in advanced diseases in adults

Breathlessness is a common and distressing symptom in advanced cancer and other diseases at the end of life. It is still very difficult to treat breathlessness sufficiently. Benzodiazepines, a group of sedating drugs that are mainly used for sleep disturbance and anxiety, are widely used for the relief of breathlessness. This systematic review aimed to determine whether benzodiazepines relieve breathlessness in adults with advanced disease. In summary, this review concludes, on the basis of seven included studies, that there is no evidence for a beneficial effect of benzodiazepines in the relief of breathlessness in adults with advanced disease. The review supports the use of benzodiazepines only if other first-line treatments, such as opioids and non-drug treatments, have failed. However, there is still an urgent need for more studies in this field to find better ways to relieve this burdensome symptom in patients with advanced diseases.