According to the WHO definition palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering. The aim of palliative care is constant work to improve and maintain a high level of quality of life of patients and their families during the last stage of disease. The work is the follow-up of the research performed by Warsaw Centre of Oncology in 1990. The current work was aimed at verifying and extending the original theses. We used QLQ-C15-PAL, modified VAS Scale to assess pain and a self-prepared Patient’s Expectation Questionnaire. The results were analysed using statistical methods to find trends and correlations. The analysis resulted in the following outcome: providing the relief of pain and good control over somatic symptoms alone is not enough to gain good quality of life; the patient’s main needs are in the psychosocial sphere and involve being in contact with intimates, being respected and having the ability to decide about oneself; patients do not seek silence and tran­quility but want to participate in social life as long as it is possible; good communication between patients and the medical team is essential for accurate assessment of patient’s expectations and proper response to them.