Background/aim: Validated measures in palliative cancer patients are very important in the evaluation and management of the disease. The Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) has been used for many years to assess the performance status of cancer patients. The aim of this study is to determine the validity and reliability of the KPS in cancer patients receiving palliative care in Turkey.Materials and methods: Eighty patients with a cancer diagnosis who were admitted to Gaziosmanpaşa University Medical Faculty Hospital Palliative Care Unit between 01.03.2016 and 01.03.2017 were included in the study. KPS, measurements from the Katz Activi-ties of Daily Living (ADL) scale, and Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADL) scale were recorded. The alpha coefficient (Cronbach) was calculated by using SPSS version 20.0. The P-value was accepted as P