These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Surgical approaches to malignant bowel obstruction.
    Author: Helyer L, Easson AM.
    Journal: J Support Oncol; 2008 Mar; 6(3):105-13. PubMed ID: 18402300.
    Abstract:
    The management of patients with malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) can be one of the most challenging aspects of advanced cancer care, and as a result, their symptoms are often palliated poorly, especially near the end of life. The term MBO encompasses a heterogeneous clinical syndrome,defined as obstructive symptoms due to the presence of intra-abdominal neoplastic disease. Radiological imaging, particularly with computed tomography, is critical in determining the cause of obstruction and possible therapeutic interventions. Options include laparotomy with or without a stoma, decompression with a stent, or aggressive medical therapy. Surgical decision-making involves the selection of the intervention most likely to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for a particular patient at that particular point along his or her disease course. Although MBO is a relatively common dilemma encountered in clinical practice, there are no simple treatment guidelines or algorithms to follow. Instead, each patient must be assessed individually to devise a treatment plan that best balances the advantages and disadvantages of the intervention, considering the patient's prognosis, tumor biology, and-most importantly-his or her goals of care, as determined through an honest discourse between physician and patient. This review outlines a surgical framework for clinicians managing patients with MBO.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]