Patients with cancer may be confronted with complex questions related to both quantity and quality of life. Such questions span not only the medical domain, but may have significant emotional, psychological, spiritual, practical and philosophical components. For patients with vulnerabilities over and above those inherently associated with cancer, such as older individuals or those from CALD backgrounds, questions regarding length and quality may be informed by cultural structures that could be different from our own. This presentation aims to discuss the current landscape of knowledge regarding how patients view matters of life expectancy and life quality, and offer a framework for discussing these highly sensitive topics with individuals across the cancer spectrum.