Study of Episodic Breathlessness in Patients With Lung Cancer or Other Advanced Disease

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of advanced disease as defined by the following criteria:

  * Lung cancer

    * Primary lung cancer at all stages (small cell lung cancer \[SCLC\] and non-small cell lung cancer \[NSCLC\])
    * Cancer at any site with secondary tumor of the lung (lung metastasis)
  * Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

    * Stage III or IV of the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification, which includes the airflow limitation measured by spirometry FEV1 \< 50%, FEV1/FVC \< 0.7, and symptoms such as more severe breathlessness, reduced exercise capacity, and repeated exacerbations
  * Chronic heart failure (CHF)

    * NYHA class II-IV heart disease, which includes symptoms such as dyspnea or palpitation and an increasing limitation of exercise capacity or discomfort at rest
  * Motor neuron disease (MND)

    * All patients suffering from breathlessness
* Suffering from episodic breathlessness as defined above at any level of severity

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Able to give informed consent
* Able to be interviewed
* No cognitive impairment (clinically judged by the principal investigator)
* No limited comprehension of the English language

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* Concurrent disease-oriented therapies (e.g., chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery) allowed