Brazilian Public Health has been organizing itself in the face of the growing importance of cancer in the current context, both in terms of its impact on the morbidity and mortality profile and the preparation of professionals to deal with it. At the same time, the use of palliative care, when there is no longer the possibility of a cure, has gained prominence in the literature. The aim of this study was to find out about the role of general practitioners in the Family Health Strategy in providing palliative care to terminally ill cancer patients.