Palliative Surgery Research Articles

Impact of serum albumin concentration and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio score on gastric cancer prognosis.

Serum albumin concentration (COA) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could reflect immunological and nutritional status. We aim to evaluate the impact of COA-NLR score on the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). We perform a retrospective analysis on a database of 637 GC cases, between January 2010 and December 2017. In 396 patients, the inclusion criteria for this study were met (non-resectional or palliative surgery were excluded). Analytic data was only available in 203 patients. COA-NLR score was defined as follows: COA under 35g/L and NLR value of 2.585 or higher, score 2; one of these conditions, score 1; and neither, score 0. In our population (n = 203), 87 patients were classified as score 0, 82 as score 1 and 34 as score 2. COA-NLR score was significantly associated with DFS (HR 1.674; CI 95% 1.115-2.513; p = 0.013) and with OS (HR 2.072; CI 95% 1.531-2.805; p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis (log rank test) revealed that a higher score of COA-NLR predicted a worse OS (p < 0.001) and DFS (p = 0.03). COA-NLR was an independent prognostic factor for OS when adjusted to pStage and age (adjusted HR 1.566; CI 95% 1.145-2.143; p = 0.005). Preoperative COA-NLR score was significantly associated with worse OS and DFS and, in this way, with worse prognosis on GC patients submitted to curative-intent resectional surgery.

The Experience of Uncertainty in Mothers Caring for Children at Home after Palliative Heart Surgery.

Palliative heart surgery is a compelling option for some children with congenital heart disease for which corrective heart surgery is not yet possible due to its complexity. As primary caregivers, mothers have the challenge of providing optimal care to their children at home post-surgery. This study aims to explore the experiences of mothers who are caring for children recovering from palliative heart surgery at home. The research applied descriptive, qualitative and phenomenology design. This study was conducted in Jakarta. The participants were 15 mothers of palliative heart surgery patients from seven provinces in Indonesia; Jakarta, Aceh, Bali, North Sumatra, West Java, Central Java and Banten. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews through the WhatsApp video call application and analysed using the Colaizzi method. Mothers often felt uncertain about how to provide the best care and felt that their needs for hospital services to assist them went unmet. Conclusions: This study has implications for the development of nursing services related to discharge planning for palliative heart surgery patients.

Improvement of sleep quality in isolated metastatic patients with spinal cord compression after surgery

BackgroundThis study aimed to assess changes in quality of sleep (QoS) in isolated metastatic patients with spinal cord compression following two different surgical treatments and identify potential contributing factors associated with QoS improvement.MethodsWe reviewed 49 patients with isolated spinal metastasis at our spinal tumor center between December 2017 and May 2021. Total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) and palliative surgery with postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery (PSRS) were performed on 26 and 23 patients, respectively. We employed univariate and multivariate analyses to identify the potential prognostic factors affecting QoS.ResultsThe total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score improved significantly 6 months after surgery. Univariate analysis indicated that age, pain worsening at night, decrease in visual analog scale (VAS), increase in Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score (ECOG-PS), artificial implant in focus, and decrease in epidural spinal cord compression (ESCC) scale values were potential contributing factors for QoS. Multivariate analysis indicated that the ESCC scale score decreased as an independent prognostic factor.ConclusionsPatients with spinal cord compression caused by the metastatic disease had significantly improved QoS after TES and PSRS treatment. Moreover, a decrease in ESCC scale value of > 1 was identified as a favorable contributing factor associated with PSQI improvement. In addition, TES and PSRS can prevent recurrence by achieving efficient local tumor control to improve indirect sleep. Accordingly, timely and effective surgical decompression and recurrence control are critical for improving sleep quality.

Contemporary issues in the surgical management of pleural mesothelioma.

The surgical management of pleural mesothelioma (PM) can be divided into diagnostic, staging, palliation, and cytoreductive surgery. In the cytoreductive surgical setting, the combination of different treatment modalities has led to better outcomes than surgery alone. The scarcity of high-quality studies has led to heterogeneity in management of PM across the mesothelioma treatment centers. Here, we review the literature regarding the most important open questions and ongoing clinical trials.

How We Would Treat Our Own Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Neonate for Stage 1 Surgery

ALTHOUGH NO LONGER UNIFORMLY fatal, hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) continues to significantly challenge providers across pediatric specialties. This is especially true in the neonatal period when patients with HLHS undergo stage 1 palliative surgery. Despite advances in medical and surgical management, in-hospital and 1-year mortality remain high. 1 Ohye RG Sleeper LA Mahony L et al. Comparison of shunt types in the Norwood procedure for single-ventricle lesions. N Engl J Med. 2010; 362: 1980-1992 Crossref PubMed Scopus (686) Google Scholar , 2 Mahle WT Spray TL Wernovsky G et al. Survival after reconstructive surgery for hypoplastic left heart syndrome: A 15-year experience from a single institution. Circulation. 2000; 102: III136-III141 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar , 3 Forbess JM Cook N Roth SJ et al. Ten-year institutional experience with palliative surgery for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Risk factors related to stage I mortality. Circulation. 1995; 92: II262-II266 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar , 4 Stasik CN Gelehrter S Goldberg CS et al. Current outcomes and risk factors for the Norwood procedure. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2006; 131: 412-417 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (208) Google Scholar , 5 Hirsch JC Copeland G Donohue JE et al. Population-based analysis of survival for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. J Pediatr. 2011; 159: 57-63 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (36) Google Scholar , 6 Tweddell JS Sleeper LA Ohye RG et al. Intermediate-term mortality and cardiac transplantation in infants with single-ventricle lesions: Risk factors and their interaction with shunt type. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2012; 144: 152-159 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (114) Google Scholar , 7 Best KE Miller N Draper E et al. The improved prognosis of hypoplastic left heart: A population-based register study of 343 cases in England and Wales. Front Pediatr. 2021; 9635776 Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar , 8 Piber N Ono M Palm J et al. Influence of shunt type on survival and right heart function after the Norwood procedure for aortic atresia. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2022; 34: 1300-1310 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (5) Google Scholar , 9 Karamlou T Diggs BS Ungerleider RM et al. Evolution of treatment options and outcomes for hypoplastic left heart syndrome over an 18-year period. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010; 139: 119-126 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (52) Google Scholar , 10 Azakie T Merklinger SL McCrindle BW et al. Evolving strategies and improving outcomes of the modified Norwood procedure: A 10-year single-institution experience. Ann Thorac Surg. 2001; 72: 1349-1353 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (207) Google Scholar , 11 Newburger JW Sleeper LA Gaynor JW et al. Transplant-free survival and interventions at 6 Years in the SVR trial. Circulation. 2018; 137: 2246-2253 Crossref PubMed Scopus (133) Google Scholar At present, there is limited evidence-based society guidance on the perioperative management of neonates with HLHS undergoing stage 1 palliation. 12 Donofrio MT Moon-Grady AJ Hornberger LK et al. Diagnosis and treatment of fetal cardiac disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2014; 129: 2183-2242 Crossref PubMed Scopus (694) Google Scholar Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Stage 1 Palliation: Early bridge to recovery rather than a late act of pure despairJournal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular AnesthesiaPreviewWe appreciate the article by Zaleski et al. as it describes in detail the challenging management of a patient with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) undergoing stage I palliation (S1P) - one of the most demanding tasks in cardiac surgery and anesthesiology for congenital heart disease [1]. The course of the young patient presented in their article was uneventful. Nonetheless, internationally reported premature mortality is high at up to 14.3% and remains at 8-11% even in high-volume North American centers, and even after establishing specialized "single-ventricle” teams [2;3]. Full-Text PDF

An alternative palliative surgical method for advanced malignant obstructive jaundice: Laparoscopic bridge choledochoduodenostomy.

This study introduces an alternative palliative surgical procedure called laparoscopic bridge choledochoduodenostomy (LBCDD) for patients with advanced malignant obstructive jaundice (AMOJ). Patients with AMOJ who had LBCDD between January 2017 and August 2021 were identified from databases of two institutions in China. A total of 35 patients (male 12; female 23) with an average age of 64 years were enrolled. The average diameter of the tumor is 4.24 cm. All patients undertook LBCDD within an average operation time of 75 min with a mean blood loss of 32 ml. One patient had controlled bile leakage after the operation and two developed surgical site infection involving the epigastric orifices. All of them were solved by conservative treatment. All patients were discharged smoothly after an average hospital stay of 5.5 days, and no conversion to open surgery was required. LBCDD is a safe and efficient palliative surgery, which has a good therapeutic effect on patients with AMOJ.

Clinical Characteristics of Coronary-to-Pulmonary Artery Fistula in Patients with Pulmonary Atresia and Ventricular Septal Defect.

The existence of a coronary-to-pulmonary artery fistula (CPF) in pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PAVSD) potentially affects treatment; however, its clinical features have not been comprehensively described due to the disease's rarity. We reviewed 69 cases from 42 studies to reveal the clinical overview of patients with CPF and PAVSD. Among the included patients, the male-to-female ratio was exactly 1:1, and only two patients (3%) exhibited the 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome. Regarding anatomical features, CPFs originated from the left coronary artery in 65% of patients, and 62% had other major aortopulmonary collateral arteries. Thirty-nine percent of patients had a definitive CPF diagnosis at 0 years of age, whereas 10% were diagnosed in adulthood. Seventy percent underwent catheter angiography to obtain a definitive CPF diagnosis. Ninety-five percent of patients underwent cardiac surgery, and among them, 43% underwent palliative surgery, whereas 52% underwent one-stage repair. Four patients including three adult patients developed cardiac dysfunction due to myocardial ischemia, and three of them exhibited improved cardiac function after the intervention for CPF. Of all the patients, 88% survived and 12% died. The surgical strategy and prognosis were similar to those in PAVSD patients without CPF. This review provides detailed clinical phenotypes that are potentially useful in enhancing the management of patients with this rare disease.

Effectiveness of gelatin matrix with human thrombin for reducing blood loss in palliative decompressive surgery with posterior spinal fusion for metastatic spinal tumors

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the effect of gelatin matrix with human thrombin (GMHT) on blood loss and survival time in patients with metastatic spinal tumors treated with palliative decompression surgery with posterior spinal fusion. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 67 consecutive patients with metastatic spinal tumors who underwent palliative decompression surgery with posterior spinal fusion. We compared patients in whom GMHT was not used during surgery with those in whom GMHT was used. The following baseline characteristics were evaluated: age, height, weight, sex, metastatic tumor diagnosis, medical history, use of antiplatelet drug, use of anticoagulant drug, use of NSAIDs, smoking, preoperative PLT value, preoperative APTT, preoperative PT-INR, Karnofsky Performance Status score, Charlson comorbidities index score, the percentage of patients who received perioperative chemotherapy, main tumor level, Frankel category, revised Tokuhashi score, spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS), number of fusion segments, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, drainage blood loss, red blood cell transfusion, hemoglobin level, total protein (TP), albumin values, total blood loss (TBL), hidden blood loss, postoperative bed rest and postoperative survival time. Perioperative complications were assessed. ResultsAge, height, weight, sex, metastatic tumor diagnosis, medical history, use of antiplatelet drug, use of anticoagulant drug, use of NSAIDs, smoking, preoperative PLT value, preoperative APTT, preoperative PT-INR, CCI score, main level of tumors, SINS score, preoperative Tokuhashi score and number of fusion segments did not differ significantly between the two groups. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage blood loss, and TBL were significantly decreased in the group with GMHT than in the group without GMHT. The total number of perioperative complications was significantly lesser in the group with GMHT than in the group without GMHT. The median postoperative survival time was significantly longer in the GMHT group than in the group without GMHT. ConclusionGMHT should be considered a valid option for the treatment of patients with metastatic spinal tumors with a short life expectancy.

The appropriate use of gastrostomy tubes in palliative surgery.

Palliative surgery is defined as an operation or procedure performed with the primary intention of relieving symptoms or improving quality of life. Gastrostomy tubes are often employed with palliative intent but, like many palliative interventions, there is insufficient data to facilitate surgical decision-making. This can be challenging for healthcare professionals as caring for palliative patients often encompasses end of life care, severe life-altering symptoms, and poor prognosis. Thus, we have gathered available data for the appropriate use of gastrostomy tube in palliative surgery and propose our mini-review as a primer to aid in medical and surgical decision-making. We first provide the background for palliative surgery and the definition, brief history and techniques pertinent to palliative gastrostomy tube (PGT). Then we review the data relevant to two common indications-head/ neck cancer and malignant bowel obstruction-for PGT. As our deliverable, we present an effective paradigm for delivering the data to patients and families utilizing known palliative communication and decision-making frameworks such as the Palliative Triangle, Best Case/Worst Case and Defining Value. Moreover, we highlight the necessity of conducting more palliative care research that involves palliative outcome measures in addition to traditional metrics such as overall survival. We end our discussion by emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary team, individualized decision-making, and relationship-based care for palliative patients.

Palliative surgery for malignant superior vena cava obstruction resistant to immunotherapy: a case report

A disease progression pattern in a limited number of sites, called oligoprogression, is relatively common in patients with lung cancer during immunotherapy. It is controversial how to manage clinically problematic oligoprogressive lesions, such as superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction resistant to immunotherapy. We present a case of a 43-year-old man who presented with facial swelling and pain in the right shoulder. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a tumor at the apex of the right lung, pulmonary and pleural nodules, and swollen mediastinal lymph nodes. A swollen mediastinal lymph node directly invaded into the SVC. Pathological diagnosis of the lymph node revealed adenocarcinoma. On the basis of these findings, the patient was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma with SVC obstruction (cT3N2M1c; stage IVB). First-line chemotherapy with carboplatin, pemetrexed, and pembrolizumab reduced the size of the primary tumor, pulmonary and pleural metastases, and most mediastinal lymph node metastases after four cycles of treatment, but one lesion invading the SVC increased. Therefore, surgical resection of the lesion and vascular replacement were performed. At present, 22 months have passed since the surgery, and maintenance therapy with pemetrexed and pembrolizumab is ongoing, without disease progression nor any adverse events. The clinical course of the case presented here suggests that palliative surgery may be an effective management option for a clinically problematic lesion, such as SVC obstruction, which increases during immunotherapy.

Palliative surgery: reflection on perioperative nursing care

Palliative surgery: reflection on perioperative nursing care

Does a selective surgical approach to malignant bowel obstruction help in palliative care patients?

Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) is a condition secondary to intra-abdominal metastatic spread of advanced-stage tumors. There is no consensus for the treatment approach of MBO. This study aims to present the results of medical treatment and palliative surgery in patients diagnosed with MBO. The patients who were treated for advanced-stage tumors between 2010 and 2017 and for whom consultation was requested from the surgical clinic for MBO symptoms were identified. A selective approach together with palliative care for the indication of surgery was instituted. The patients with surgical treatment and medical treatment were compared concerning survival, oral food intake and symptom relief. Seventy-six patients (30 female, 46 male) aged 60.5±12.8 years (range: 27-88) were included in this study. Forty-eight of the patients (64.9%) underwent surgical treatment, while 28 (35.1%) had medical treatment. Although the patients with surgery had longer duration of stay in the hospital (median 16 days vs. 4 days) (p<0.001) and higher complication rates (27.1% vs. 3.5%) compared to medically treated patients; the restoring oral food intake was better (97.9% vs. 78.6%) (p=0.005) and the survival was longer (105 days vs. 43 days). This study revealed that surgical treatment resulted in better outcomes for life quality parameters in highly selected patients with malignant bowel obstruction evaluated by multidisciplinary team, including palliative care.

Cirurgia paliativa: reflexão sobre a assistência de enfermagem perioperatória

Cirurgia paliativa: reflexão sobre a assistência de enfermagem perioperatória

Perioperative Factors Influencing Outcome in Palliative Cancer Surgery at a Tertiary Cancer Care Institute in Northeast IndiaA Retrospective Study

Introduction: Surgical palliation of malignancy is defined best as a procedure used with the primary intention of improving Quality of Life (QoL) or relieving symptoms caused by an advanced malignancy. Surgical procedures for palliation include resections, reconstruction, functional repairs, drainage, and biopsy. Primary benefits include QoL improvement through symptom prevention or control, with survival advantage as a secondary benefit. Aim: To evaluate mortality (30 days and 6 months), length of hospital stay and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay and QoL among patients undergoing palliative surgery for advanced cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute, India, from September 2020 to March 2021. The clinicodemographic profile, tumour type and staging, treatment, investigations, surgery, anaesthesia and complications were studied. The outcome was defined by mortality, length of hospital stay and quality of life. Descriptive statistics was used for analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant at 5% level of significance. Results: A total of 86 patients underwent palliative surgeries, out of which 52 (60.5%) were females and 34 (39.5%) were males with the mean age of 49.6±15.9 years. Among them, 8 (9.3%) died within 30 days of surgery and 11 (12.8%) at six months after surgery. There was a significant association of mortality with pallor, deranged Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), co-morbidities, chemotherapy, type of surgery and anaesthesia but not with age, sex, type and stage of cancer, American Society of Anaesthesiology (ASA) status and General Condition (GC) of the patient. The mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 15.8 days and mean ICU stay was 0.8 day for all patients. Patients with pallor had longer duration of hospital and ICU stay. Type of surgery was significantly associated with hospital stay but not with ICU stay. On evaluating the quality of life using Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, it was seen that the number of patients with poor ECOG scores (3 to 5) increased significantly from 10 (11.63%) to 13 (15.12%) in the immediate postoperative period. Conclusion: Patient factors affected the outcome after palliative surgery more than surgical and anaesthetic factors. The high mortality rate of 12.8% warrants detailed prospective studies in the future.

PALLIATIVE GASTRECTOMY VERSUS GASTRIC BYPASS FOR SYMPTOMATIC CLINICAL STAGE IV GASTRIC CANCER: A PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHING ANALYSIS.

Patients with clinical stage IV gastric cancer may require palliative procedures to manage complications such as obstruction. However, there is no consensus on whether performing palliative gastrectomy compared to gastric bypass brings benefits in terms of survival. To compare the overall survival of patients with distal obstructive gastric cancer undergoing palliative surgical treatment, using propensity score matching analysis. Patients who underwent palliative bypass surgery (gastrojejunostomy or partitioning) and resection between the years 2009 and 2023 were retrospectively selected. Initial and postoperative clinicopathological variables were collected. 150 patients were initially included. The derived group (n=91) presented more locally invasive disease (p<0.01), greater degree of obstruction (p<0.01), and worse clinical status (p<0.01), while the resected ones (n= 59) presented more distant metastasis (p<0.01). After matching, 35 patients remained in each group. There was no difference in the incidence of postoperative complications, but the derived group had higher 90-day mortality (p<0.01). Overall survival was 16.9 and 4.5 months for the resected and derived groups, respectively (p<0.01). After multivariate analysis, hypoalbuminemia (hazard ratio - HR=2.02, 95% confidence interval - 95%CI 1.17-3.48; p=0.01), absence of adjuvant chemotherapy (HR=5.97; 95%CI 3.03-11.7; p<0.01), and gastric bypass (HR=3,28; 95%CI 1.8-5.95; p<0.01) were associated with worse survival. Palliative gastrectomy was associated with greater survival and lower postoperative morbidity compared to gastric bypass. This may be due to better local control of the disease, with lower risks of complications and better effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Surgical results and quality of life after single-stage posterior transpedicular approach for circumferential epidural decompression in patients with thoracolumbar spine metastasis.

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of palliative surgery using posterior transpedicular approach (PTA) with posterior instrumentation on pain response and quality of life (QoL) in patients with metastatic thoracic and lumbar tumors. Methods: From 2018 to 2019, 39 patients with metastatic thoracic and/or lumbar tumors were prospectively enrolled to measure the reduction in pain and the changes in QoL after surgical decompression with posterior instrumentation via PTA. The patient group was composed of 27 men and 12 women with a mean age of 60 years (range, 28 to 92 years). Pain response was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) and neurologic status was evaluated using Frankel grades. QoL was assessed with use of the EORCT QLQ-BM22 questionnaire before surgery (baseline) and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month after surgery. The survival times of all the patients were also collected. Results: All patients showed either an improvement or a similar pain level after surgery, which the VAS score decreased from 7.10 ± 2.22 preoperatively to 3.10 ± 2.15 one month postoperatively (P<0.05). 19 patients (48.7%, 19/39) showed neurological function improvement postoperatively. Among the 19 patients, 7 cases improved from Frankel grade C to D, 5 cases from grade C to E, and 7 cases from grade D to E. Another 20 patients still have the same Frankel grade postoperatively, however, most of them improved clinically. The QoL improvement of the patients was also evident after treatment. Paired-samples T-test examination of the postoperative scores showed a significant improvement in terms of pain location, pain severity and performance status (P<0.01). Compared with the preoperative score, the 1-month postoperative score of functional interference was significantly improved (63.6 vs. 34.5, P<0.01). There were no significant changes in social or psychological functioning. Three patients experienced cerebrospinal fluid leakage postoperatively, and they were all successfully managed by lying flat without a pillow. One patient experienced rod breakage, at 10 months after surgery. All the patients were alive at 3 months; however, 7 patients died within 3 to 6 months, and another 9 patients died from the disease within 6 to 12 months. Conclusions: The present feasibility study found that the application of the PTA for decompression and fusion in patients with spinal metastases is beneficial for achieving prompt and sustained pain relief, reducing neurologic deficits and improving functional outcomes, health utilities, and HRQoL.

An Introduction to Minimally Invasive Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery

AbstractThe field of minimally invasive surgery has evolved over the past 50 years, including neurosurgery, with an evolution to “minimally invasive neurosurgery” when feasible. Epilepsy surgery has followed this trend, with a transition from standard neurosurgical techniques to minimally invasive techniques in all phases of neurosurgical involvement. These include the diagnostic intracranial electroencephalogram with a subdural exploration to stereoelectroencephalography, the actual resection from an open craniotomy to a less destructive technique, or the multiple modalities of neuromodulation instead of a destructive surgery.The influence of these minimally invasive techniques has resulted in a change in the overall philosophy of pediatric epilepsy surgery. The expectations of what is considered “successful” epilepsy surgery has changed from total seizure control, in other words, a “cure,” to palliative epilepsy surgery with a decrease in the targeted seizures, especially “disabling seizures.” This has led to an overall greater acceptance of epilepsy surgery. This article summarizes the major reasons behind the explosion of minimally invasive pediatric epilepsy surgery, which are amplified in the subsequent articles. Some of this chapter includes the authors' opinions.

Outcomes and long-term follow-up by treatment type for patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer managed at a tertiary cancer center: A Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Team Ovary study

ObjectiveTo assess long-term outcomes of patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer by treatment type. MethodsPatients with newly diagnosed stage III-IV ovarian cancer who underwent primary treatment at our tertiary cancer center from 01/01/2015–12/31/2015 were included. We reviewed electronic medical records for clinicopathological, treatment, and survival characteristics. ResultsOf 153 patients, 88 (58%) had stage III and 65 (42%) stage IV disease. Median follow-up was 65.8 months (range, 3.6–75.3). Eighty-nine patients (58%) underwent primary debulking surgery (PDS), 50 (33%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS), and 14 (9%) received chemotherapy alone, without surgery (NSx). Median PFS to first recurrence was 26.2 months (range, 20.1–36.2), 13.5 months (range, 12–15.1), and 4.2 months (range, 1.1–5.8) in the PDS, IDS, and NSx groups, respectively (P < .001). At first recurrence/progression, 80 patients (72.7%) were treated with chemotherapy, 28 (25.5%) underwent secondary cytoreductive surgery (CRS) followed by chemotherapy, and 2 (1.8%) received no treatment. Seven patients (4.6%) underwent palliative surgery for malignant bowel obstruction. Overall, 62.7% received 1–3 lines of chemotherapy. The 5-year OS rates were 53.2% (95% CI: 44.7%–61%) for the entire cohort, 71.5% (95% CI: 60.2%–80%) for the PDS group, 35.2% (95% CI: 22.2–48.5%) for the IDS group, and 7.9% (95% CI: 0.5%–29.9%) for the NSx group. ConclusionThe longitudinal treatment modalities and outcomes of patients with advanced ovarian cancer described here can be useful for patient counseling, long-term planning, and future comparison studies.

Retrospective Clinical Analysis of Epilepsy Treatment for Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy (A Single-Center Experience).

This retrospective cohort study investigated the clinical characteristics and seizure outcomes of patients aged 1-14 years with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) who were treated by different typologies of therapy. Four hundred and eighteen children with DRE were recruited from Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University from April 2008 to February 2015. The patients were divided into three groups: medication (n = 134, 32.06%), resection surgery (n = 185, 44.26%), and palliative surgery (n = 99, 23.68%) groups. Demographic characteristics were attained from medical records. All patients were followed up for at least 5 years, with seizure outcomes classified according to International League Against Epilepsy criteria. The psychological outcome was evaluated with the development quotient and Wechsler Intelligence Quotient Scale for children (Chinese version). The most frequent seizure type was generalized tonic seizure in 53.83% of patients. Age at seizure onset in 54.55% of patients was &lt;3 years. The most frequent etiologies were focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). West syndrome was the most common epilepsy syndrome. Favorable seizure outcomes at the 5-year follow-up in the medication, resection surgery, and palliative surgery groups were 5.22%, 77.30%, and 14.14%, respectively. The patients showed varying degrees of improvement in terms of developmental and intellectual outcomes post-treatment. Pediatric patients with DRE were characterized by frequent seizures, a variety of seizure types, and complex etiology. Recurrent seizures severely affected the cognitive function and development of children. Early surgical intervention would be beneficial for seizure control and prevention of mental retardation. Palliative surgery was also a reasonable option for patients who were not suitable candidates for resection surgery.

Integrative oncology and patient-centered care: does palliative surgery have a role in these two concepts?

Integrative oncology and patient-centered care: does palliative surgery have a role in these two concepts?