Patients will be identified by the following procedure: A) Each week a research nurse reviews the medical records of consecutive patients seen in oncological out-patients clinic. B) Eligible patients are asked to fill out a questionnaire (the screening) that investigates symptoms and problems. The patients are told that their questionnaire will be evaluated and that the research nurse will contact some of the patients later on with information about a RCT. C) Those patients who report at least one palliative need in the questionnaire (see inclusion criteria) and have four additional symptoms are contacted by the research nurse who provide the patients with written and verbal information about the RCT. D) Patients who give informed consent are randomised.