Intestinal obstruction in patients with malignancy: results of palliative surgery.

Objective: The study aim was to investigate predictive factors related to t he results, in terms of survival and quality of life, of palliative surgery in cancer patients presenting with intestinal obstruction. Methods: A total of 109 patients already treated for a neoplasm were operat ed on for intestinal obstruction between 1990 and 2000. The investigated pr ognostic factors were age, sex, location of the primary tumour, extension o f the cancer at the time of the operation and the surgical procedure carrie d out. The impact on the quality of life was assessed by the resumption of intestinal transit and the return home. Results: The median survival rate was 64 days and the postoperative mortali ty rate 21%. The quality of life was improved in 65% of the patients. The o nly factors dearly correlated with survival and the success of the operatio n were the aetiological diagnosis of the intestinal obstruction and the typ e of procedure which was possible to carry out. Conclusion: Palliative surgery may improve the quality of life of a certain number of patients, but it was not possible to demonstrate predictive fact ors for the selection of patients who could have the larger benefits of suc h surgery. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicates Elsevier SAS.