Inclusion Criteria:  BOTH COHORTS: Diagnosis of advanced cancer (defined as locally advanced, metastatic, recurrent, or incurable disease) BOTH COHORTS: Admitted to the PSCU at MD Anderson Cancer Center  IMPENDING DEATH COHORT: Clinician judgement of =< 3 days of survival or >= 1 late sign of impending death  Presence of late signs of impending death are based on reporting by bedside nurses, physicians, or research staff. Examples of these signs include inability to close eyelids; non-reactive pupils; drooping of nasolabial fold; hyperextension of neck; death rattle; grunting of vocal cords; decreased response to verbal/visual stimuli; respiration with mandibular movement; Cheyne Stokes breathing; pulselessness of radial artery; peripheral cyanosis; or decreased urine output IMPENDING DEATH COHORT: Glasgow Coma Scale =< 8 IMPENDING DEATH COHORT: Not been able to communicate for past 24 hours (no verbal response) because of delirium, coma, or impending death based on the judgement of the palliative care unit physician. IMPENDING DEATH COHORT: Palliative Performance Scale score of 10-20% CONTROL COHORT: Able to communicate for the past 24 hours CONTROL COHORT: Clinician judgement of >= 1 month of survival BOTH COHORTS: English-speaking  Exclusion Criteria:  BOTH COHORTS: Evidence of brain metastases, brain hemorrhage, or subdural hematomas on recent neuroimaging BOTH COHORTS: Hearing impairment as documented by chart or requiring hearing aid IMPENDING DEATH COHORT: Mental status changes predominantly related to medications as per clinician judgement CONTROL COHORT: Diagnosis of delirium (i.e. Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale [MDAS] >= 13) BOTH COHORTS: Pregnant women BOTH COHORTS: Age < 18 years old