Few studies have focused on palliative surgery in patients with advanced gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) or gastric cancer. We sought to evaluate clinical observational outcomes following palliative surgery in this population.

Patients with GEJ or gastric cancer who underwent palliative surgery (1/2010-11/2022) were identified. The primary outcomes were symptom improvement, ability to tolerate an oral diet, discharge to home, 30 "good days" without hospitalization, and receipt of systemic treatment. Postoperative outcomes and survival were secondarily evaluated.

Among 93 patients, the median age was 59 (IQR 47-68) years, and the median Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) was 1 (range 0-3). The most frequent indication for palliative surgery was primary tumor obstruction [75 (81%) patients]. The most common procedures were feeding tube placement in 60 (65%) and intestinal bypass in 15 (16%) patients. A total of 75 (81%) patients experienced symptom improvement. Of these, 19 (25%) developed recurrent and 49 (65%) developed new symptoms. ECOG-PS was significantly associated with symptom-free time. Among those who underwent a bypass, resection, or ostomy creation for malignant obstruction, 16 (80%) tolerated an oral diet. Postoperatively, 87 (94%) were discharged home, 72 (77%) had 30 good days, and 64 (69%) received systemic treatment. Postoperative complications occurred in 35 (38%) patients, and 7 (8%) died within 30 days. The median survival time was 7.7 (95% CI 6.4-10.40) months.

Patients with incurable GEJ or gastric cancer can benefit from palliative surgery. Prognosis and performance status should inform goals-of-care discussions and patient selection for surgical palliation.

The science of prognostication is emerging as a vital part of providing goal concordant patient care. Historically, modern medicine has tended to shy away from approaching prognostication as a core clinical skill, and prognosis as something to be shared directly with the patient. In recent years however, the medical field's shift towards a focus on patient autonomy and more openness in matters regarding end of life has propelled the study of prognostication into a more essential component of patient centered care. This calls for more emphasis on teaching the science of prognosis and the skill of prognostication as a core part of modern medical education. The following chapter aims to delve into the science of prognostication, explore the methods of formulating a prognosis, and discuss issues surrounding the communication of prognosis.

Surgical palliation in oncology can be defined as "procedures employed with non-curative intent with the primary goal of improving symptoms caused by an advanced malignancy," and is an important aspect of the end-of-life care of patients with incurable malignancies. Palliative interventions may provide great benefit, but they also carry high risk for morbidity and mortality, which may be minimized with careful patient selection. This can be done by consideration of the patient and his or her indication for the given intervention via open communication, as well as prediction of benefits and risks to define the therapeutic index of the operation or procedure.

The essential package of palliative care for cervical cancer (EPPCCC), described elsewhere, is designed to be safe and effective for preventing and relieving most suffering associated with cervical cancer and universally accessible. However, it appears that women with cervical cancer, more frequently than patients with other cancers, experience various types of suffering that are refractory to basic palliative care such as what can be provided with the EPPCCC. In particular, relief of refractory pain, vomiting because of bowel obstruction, bleeding, and psychosocial suffering may require additional expertise, medicines, or equipment. Therefore, we convened a group of experienced experts in all aspects of care for women with cervical cancer, and from countries of all income levels, to create an augmented package of palliative care for cervical cancer with which even suffering refractory to the EPPCCC often can be relieved. The package consists of medicines, radiotherapy, surgical procedures, and psycho-oncologic therapies that require advanced or specialized training. Each item in this package should be made accessible whenever the necessary resources and expertise are available.

The spine is a frequent site of cancer metastasis leading to intractable pain, functional impairment, and poor quality of life. When analgesic regimens and nonpharmacological interventions fail, spine surgery may be indicated. For patients with advanced disease, the decision to operate can become a dilemma. A patient with colon cancer metastatic to his spine, who had undergone multiple procedures for back pain, was admitted to a palliative care unit, where pain persisted despite high-dose opioids and adjuvant analgesics. Owing to progressive disease, he was told of a prognosis of six months by his oncologist. He eventually underwent percutaneous pedicle screw fixation. Shortly after surgery, he settled on a regimen merely equivalent to 45 mg of morphine per day. The article explores the role of palliative spine surgery in managing intractable cancer-related back pain. The authors offer a guide when considering surgical procedures for patients with limited prognosis.

Prognostication is an essential component of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer but also poses challenges. Little is known about physicians' perspectives on prognostication and prognostic tools used in palliative care practice in Eastern countries.

To explore Korean physicians' perspectives and experiences with prognostication in their palliative care practices.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Korea in 11 palliative care physicians. A constant comparative and grounded theory approach was used to derive themes from interview transcripts.

Participants on average had 6.4 (SD = 4.5, range 0.5-15) years of hospice and palliative care experience. We identified 4 main themes about prognostication: (1) the importance of prognostication (to help patients and their families prepare for death, to determine the appropriate time of transition to hospice care, to facilitate appropriate decision making, and to facilitate communication with patients and their families); (2) difficulties of prognostication (discomfort estimating the exact date of death); (3) basis of prognostication (clinical prediction of survival as well as prognostic scores); and (4) areas for further research (need for a simpler scoring system or parameters to predict survival with greater certainty).

Palliative care physicians in Korea reported similar perceptions about the role and challenges inherent in prognostication compared to clinicians in Western cultures. However, they emphasize the need to predict final days to keep families with dying patients, reflecting family-centered aspects of Asian culture. They reported frustrations with inaccurate prognostication schemas and called for the development of simpler, more accurate predictors as a focus of future research.

The major symptoms of advanced hepatopancreatic-biliary cancer are biliary obstruction, pain and gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). For obstructive jaundice, surgical treatment should de consider in recurrent stent complications. The role of surgery for pain relief is marginal nowadays. On the last, there is no consensus for treatment of malignant GOO. Endoscopic duodenal stents are associated with shorter length of stay and faster relief to oral intake with more recurrent symptoms. Surgical gastrojejunostomy shows better long-term results and lower re-intervention rates, but there are limited data about laparoscopic approach. We performed a systematic review of the literature, according PRISMA guidelines, to search for articles on laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy for malignant GOO treatment. We also report our personal series, from 2009 to 2017. A review of the literature suggests that there is no standardized surgical technique either standardized outcomes to report. Most of the studies are case series, so level of evidence is low. Decision-making must consider medical condition, nutritional status, quality of life and life expectancy. Evaluation of the patient and multidisciplinary expertise are required to select appropriate approach. Given the limited studies and the difficulty to perform prospective controlled trials, no study can answer all the complexities of malignant GOO and more outcome data is needed.

The ability to predict survival accurately has implications in clinical decision making.

We determined the association of phase angle obtained from multi-frequency bioelectric impedance analysis with overall survival in patients with advanced cancer.

We included consecutive patients with advanced cancer who had an outpatient palliative care consultation. Multi-frequency bioelectric impedance analysis assessed phase angle at three different frequencies (5/50/250 kHz) on each hemibody (right/left). Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and multivariate Cox regression analysis.

Among 366 patients, the median overall survival was 250 days (95% confidence interval 191-303 days). The mean phase angle for 5, 50, and 250 kHz were 2.2°, 4.4°, and 4.2° on the right and 2.0°, 4.2° and 4.1° on the left, respectively. For all six phase angles, a lower value was significantly associated with a poorer overall survival (P < 0.001). After adjusting for cancer type, performance status, weight loss, and inflammatory markers, phase angle remained independently associated with overall survival (hazard ratio 0.85 per degree increase, 95% confidence interval 0.72-0.99; P = 0.048).

Phase angle represents a novel objective prognostic factor in outpatient palliative cancer care setting, regardless of frequency and body sides.

Patients with advanced illness such as advanced stage cancer presenting with the need for possible surgical intervention can be some of the most challenging cases for a surgeon. Often there are multiple factors influencing the decisions made. For patients they are facing not just the effects of the disease on their body, but the stark realization that the disease will also limit their life. Not only are these factors a consideration when patients are making decisions, but also the desire to make the decision that is best for themselves, the autonomous decision. Also included in this process for the patient facing the possible need for an intervention is the surgeon. While patient autonomy remains one of the main principles within medicine, guiding treatment decisions, there is also the surgeon's autonomy to be considered. Surgeons determine if there is even a possible intervention to be offered to patients, a decision making process that respects surgeons' autonomous choices and includes elements of paternalism as surgeons utilize their expertise to make decisions. Included in the treatment decisions that are made and the care of the patient is the impact patients' outcomes have on the surgeon, the inherent drive to be the best for the patient and desire for good outcomes for the patient. While both the patient's and surgeon's autonomy are a dynamic interface influencing decision making, the main goal for the patient facing a palliative procedure is that of making treatment decisions based on the concept of shared decision making, always giving primary consideration to the patient's goals and values. Lastly, regardless of the decision made, it is the responsibility of surgeons to their patients to be a source of support through this challenging time.

Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (CRS/HIPEC) is being used more and more frequently for the management of peritoneal carcinomatosis. Despite significant improvements in oncologic outcomes and the risk of complications and mortality, CRS/HIPEC remains one of the most morbid treatments offered for advanced cancers. Consequently CRS/HIPEC is still considered controversial by many, even in the setting of cancers that are potentially curable. However, as high volume surgical oncologists become more experienced with CRS/HIPEC, the potential role of "palliative CRS/HIPEC" in the management of peritoneal carcinomatosis is being raised. Given the often limited survival benefit expected after CRS/HIPEC, understanding the impact of the treatment on quality of life (QOL) needs to be an essential part of the decision to proceed and is critical to optimizing recovery afterwards. This article reviews the potential definitions of "palliative CRS/HIPEC" in various clinical contexts and describes the current state of the QOL experience after CRS/HIPEC.

This is an update of the original Cochrane review published in Issue 4, 2000. Intestinal obstruction commonly occurs in progressive advanced gynaecological and gastrointestinal cancers. Management of these patients is difficult due to the patients' deteriorating mobility and function (performance status), the lack of further chemotherapeutic options, and the high mortality and morbidity associated with palliative surgery. There are marked variations in clinical practice concerning surgery in these patients between different countries, gynaecological oncology units and general hospitals, as well as referral patterns from oncologists under whom these patients are often admitted.

To assess the efficacy of surgery for intestinal obstruction due to advanced gynaecological and gastrointestinal cancer.

We searched the following databases for the original review in 2000 and again for this update in June 2015: CENTRAL (2015, Issue 6); MEDLINE (OVID June week 1 2015); and EMBASE (OVID week 24, 2015).We also searched relevant journals, bibliographic databases, conference proceedings, reference lists, grey literature and the world wide web for the original review in 2000; we also used personal contact. This searching of other resources yielded very few additional studies. The Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Review Group no longer routinely handsearch journals. For these reasons, we did not repeat the searching of other resources for the June 2015 update.

As the review concentrates on the 'best evidence' available for the role of surgery in malignant bowel obstruction in known advanced gynaecological and gastrointestinal cancer we kept the inclusion criteria broad (including both prospective and retrospective studies) so as to include all studies relevant to the question. We sought published trials reporting on the effects of surgery for resolving symptoms in malignant bowel obstruction for adult patients with known advanced gynaecological and gastrointestinal cancer.

We used data extraction forms to collect data from the studies included in the review. Two review authors extracted the data independently to reduce error. Owing to concerns about the risk of bias we decided not to conduct a meta-analysis of data and we have presented a narrative description of the study results. We planned to resolve disagreements by discussion with the third review author.

In total we have identified 43 studies examining 4265 participants. The original review included 938 patients from 25 studies. The updated search identified an additional 18 studies with a combined total of 3327 participants between 1997 and June 2015. The results of these studies did not change the conclusions of the original review.No firm conclusions can be drawn from the many retrospective case series so the role of surgery in malignant bowel obstruction remains controversial. Clinical resolution varies from 26.7% to over 68%, though it is often unclear how this is defined. Despite being an inadequate proxy for symptom resolution or quality of life, the ability to feed orally was a popular outcome measure, with success rates ranging from 30% to 100%. Rates of re-obstruction varied, ranging from 0% to 63%, though time to re-obstruction was often not included. Postoperative morbidity and mortality also varied widely, although again the definition of both of these surgical outcomes differed between many of the papers. There were no data available for quality of life. The reporting of adverse effects was variable and this has been described where available. Where discussed, surgical procedures varied considerably and outcomes were not reported by specific intervention. Using the 'Risk of bias' assessment tool, most included studies were at high risk of bias for most domains.

The role of surgery in malignant bowel obstruction needs careful evaluation, using validated outcome measures of symptom control and quality of life scores. Further information could include re-obstruction rates together with the morbidity associated with the various surgical procedures.Currently, bowel obstruction is managed empirically and there are marked variations in clinical practice by different units. In order to compare outcomes in malignant bowel obstruction, there needs to be a greater degree of standardisation of management.Since the last version of this review none of the new included studies have provided additional information to change the conclusions.

Criteria for selecting patients with advanced cancer for palliative surgery (PS) remains poorly defined. Decision making for PS requires realistic treatment goals with well-defined criteria. Here we discuss a 71-year-old Jehovah's Witness with advanced stage renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who presented with profound anemia due to intractable bleeding from gastric metastasis. After repeated attempts with endoscopic and angiographic management, she underwent surgical palliation. Through this case, we developed 10-item evidence-based criteria for selecting patients for PS.

The study objective was to provide a review of pertinent literature for PS and identify evidence-based criteria for patient selection. These criteria were relevant for selecting this patient with metastatic RCC and may prove beneficial for selecting advanced cancer patients for PS.

A MEDLINE search revealed 175 publications relevant to PS. Among these, 17 articles defining patient selection criteria (PSC) were reviewed. A frequency-based analysis of each criterion was performed. Another search returned 30 cases of RCC gastric metastases from 25 published reports. Outcome analysis was determined by the Kaplan-Meier actuarial method.

Ten criteria were identified: symptom control, prognosis, preoperative performance status, quality of life (QoL), tumor burden amenable to palliation, procedure-related morbidity and mortality, feasibility of nonsurgical therapies, anticipated hospitalization, requirement for additional palliation, and cost. This patient met all inclusion criteria and underwent a successful gastrectomy. Median survival for patients with RCC gastric metastasis was 20 months.

This report illustrates an example of implementation of evidence-based criteria for selecting advanced cancer patients for PS. Validation of these criteria is warranted.

Prognosis is a key driver of clinical decision-making. However, available prognostication tools have limited accuracy and variable levels of validation.

Principles of survival prediction and literature on clinician prediction of survival, prognostic factors, and prognostic models were reviewed, with a focus on patients with advanced cancer and a survival rate of a few months or less.

The 4 principles of survival prediction are (a) prognostication is a process instead of an event, (b) prognostic factors may evolve over the course of the disease, (c) prognostic accuracy for a given prognostic factor/ tool varies by the definition of accuracy, the patient population, and the time frame of prediction, and (d) the exact timing of death cannot be predicted with certainty. Clinician prediction of survival is the most commonly used approach to formulate prognosis. However, clinicians often overestimate survival rates with the temporal question. Other clinician prediction of survival approaches, such as surprise and probabilistic questions, have higher rates of accuracy. Established prognostic factors in the advanced cancer setting include decreased performance status, delirium, dysphagia, cancer anorexia-cachexia, dyspnea, inflammation, and malnutrition. Novel prognostic factors, such as phase angle, may improve rates of accuracy. Many prognostic models are available, including the Palliative Prognostic Score, the Palliative Prognostic Index, and the Glasgow Prognostic Score.

Despite the uncertainty in survival prediction, existing prognostic tools can facilitate clinical decision-making by providing approximated time frames (months, weeks, or days). Future research should focus on clarifying and comparing the rates of accuracy for existing prognostic tools, identifying and validating novel prognostic factors, and linking prognostication to decision-making.

Most gastric cancer patients present with advanced stage disease precluding curative surgical treatment. These patients may be considered for palliative resection or bypass in the presence of major symptoms; however, the utility of surgery for non-curative, asymptomatic advanced disease is debated and the appropriate treatment strategy unclear.

To evaluate the non-curative surgical literature to better understand the limitations and benefits of non-curative surgery for advanced gastric cancer.

A literature search for non-curative surgical interventions in gastric cancer was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from 1 January 1985 to 1 December 2009. All abstracts were independently rated for relevance by a minimum of two reviewers. Outcomes of interest were procedure-related morbidity, mortality, and survival.

Fifty-nine articles were included; the majority were retrospective, single institution case series. Definitions describing the treatment intent for gastrectomy were incomplete in most studies. Only five were truly performed with relief of symptoms as the primary indication for surgery, while the majority were considered non-curative or not otherwise specified. High rates of procedure-related morbidity and mortality were demonstrated for all surgeries across the majority of studies and treatment-intent categories. Median and 1-year survival were poor, and values ranged widely within surgical approaches and across studies.

A lack of transparent documentation of disease burden and symptoms limits the surgical literature in non-curative gastric cancer. Improved survival is not evident for all patients receiving non-curative gastrectomy. Further prospective research is required to determine the optimal intervention for palliative gastric cancer patients.

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and optimal timing of quality of life assessment for patients undergoing palliative surgical evaluation.

Patients with an advanced malignancy undergoing consultation for palliative surgical intervention were prospectively enrolled from November 2009 to January 2011. Follow-up quality of life assessment was performed using validated instruments at 1 and 3 months post-enrollment. Univariate analysis of variables was performed to identify clinicopathologic variables associated with questionnaire completion.

Of 77 patients enrolled, the most common clinical presentations included bowel obstruction (32 %), abdominal pain (21 %), wound complications (18 %), and gastrointestinal bleeding (11 %). Of the 77 patients, 34 (44 %) were treated with nonoperative/nonprocedural care, 9 (12 %) with endoscopic or interventional radiologic procedures, and 34 (44 %) with surgery. Follow-up questionnaires were obtained at 1 month and 3 months in 48 % and 15 %, respectively. A total of 31 patients (40 %) died prior to study completion. On univariate analysis, death was the only factor associated with questionnaire response. All other demographic, clinical, and treatment variables were not associated with response to questionnaires. There were no significant differences in baseline or follow-up quality of life scores between patients treated with surgical intervention or nonoperative management.

Death during the study period was a significant factor in limiting adequate follow-up assessment. Future studies attempting to obtain follow-up data on patients evaluated for palliative surgical intervention may require larger patient numbers to account for frequent early death in this population and anticipate the need to account for the high rate of missing data in statistical analysis.

Excellence as a surgeon requires not only the technical and intellectual ability to effectively take care of surgical disease but also an ability to respond to the needs and questions of patients. This article provides an overview of the importance of communication skills in optimal surgical palliation and offers suggestions for a multidisciplinary team approach, using the palliative triangle as the ideal model of communication and interpersonal skills. This article also discusses guidelines for advanced surgical decision making and outlines methods to improve communication skills.

Surgical therapy remains the most effective modality in the treatment of gastric cancer. Staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound may increase the accuracy of staging and prevent patients with unresectable gastric cancer from undergoing unnecessary operations. Resection of proximal and distal gastric cancer is best accomplished with an appropriate gastrectomy that ensures adequate resection margins. A D2 lymphadenectomy can be performed safely and facilitates the resection of the minimum 15 lymph nodes required for adequate staging. Adjacent organ resection should be used only in highly selected patients with R0 resection as the goal. Palliative operations offer improved quality of life and symptom relief in patients with metastatic disease. Appreciation of postoperative quality of life after gastric resection facilitates appropriate and effective preoperative counseling. Surgical outcomes may be influenced by hospital volume and rate of adequate lymph node assessment.

Excellence as a surgeon requires not only the technical and intellectual ability to effectively take care of surgical disease but also an ability to respond to the needs and questions of patients. This article provides an overview of the importance of communication skills in optimal surgical palliation and offers suggestions for a multidisciplinary team approach, using the palliative triangle as the ideal model of communication and interpersonal skills. This article also discusses guidelines for advanced surgical decision making and outlines methods to improve communication skills.

Although systemic therapy for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) continues to evolve, there are scant data to guide physicians and patients when symptoms develop. In this article, the authors report the frequency and durability of palliative procedures performed in the setting of MBC.

From July 2002 to June 2003, 91 patients with MBC underwent 109 palliative procedures (operative, n=76; IR n=39, endoscopic n=3). At study entry, patients had received a mean of 6 prior systemic therapies for metastatic disease. System-specific symptoms included neurologic (33%), thoracic (23%), musculoskeletal (22%) and GI (14%). The most common procedures were thoracostomy with or without pleurodesis (27%), craniotomy with resection (19%) and orthopedic open reduction/internal fixation (19%).

Symptom improvement at 30 days and 100 days was reported by 91% and 81% of patients, respectively, and 70% reported continued benefit for duration of life. At a median interval of 75 days from intervention (range, 8-918 days), 23 patients (25%) underwent 61 additional procedures for recurrent symptoms. The durability of palliation varied with system-specific symptoms. Patients with neurologic or musculoskeletal symptoms were least likely to require additional maintenance procedures (P<.0002). The 30-day complication rate was 18% and there were no procedure-related deaths. At a median survival of 37.4 mos from MBC diagnosis (range, 1.6-164 months) and 8.4 months after intervention (range, 0.2-73 months), 7 of 91 patients remained alive.

Palliative interventions for symptoms of MBC are safe and provide symptom control for the duration of life in 70% of patients. Definitive surgical treatment of neurologic or musculoskeletal symptoms provided the most durable palliation; interventions for other symptoms frequently require subsequent procedures. The longer median survival for patients with MBC highlights the need to optimize symptom control to maintain quality of life.

To explore patients' understanding of decision making in the treatment of advanced cancer and to determine the factors they believe important to these processes in their care.

Surveys were distributed to consecutive outpatients with advanced malignancy attending a comprehensive cancer treatment center.

Patients believed that the medical condition (94%), their doctors' experience (81%), and the medical literature (73%) are the most important factors for decisions made in their care. They also value their relationship with the doctor (63%) and their own (the patients') values (63%), and just over a third considered their family's values and the doctors' personality important. Most did not believe the doctors' values should influence decisions made. They were mindful of the uncertainty involved in decisions in the setting of advanced cancer.

Overall, patients were satisfied with the decision-making processes and they understood and highly regarded the incorporation of factors, other than their medical condition, in their care.

The gastric cancer is the most common cancer in Korea. The only treatment modality showing improved survival for gastric cancer is curative surgical resection, which comprises the resection of stomach, proper lymphadenectomy, and reconstruction. However, specific surgical procedures should be decided according to the location of the cancer, advancement of the tumor, and patients condition. Surgical treatment for gastric cancer has been developed toward two directions that are minimal invasive surgery for early gastric cancer and multi-disciplinary approach for advanced gastric cancer. Laparoscopic surgery for early gastric cancer has been accepted for minimally invasive surgery. Moreover, the advancement of diagnostic tools to assess biological aggressiveness of the tumor enables physicians to perform endoscopic resection or minimized resection for early gastric cancer. Recently, surgeons try to extend the application of laparoscopic gastric resection and D2 lymphadenectomy to advanced gastric cancer. However, technical and oncological evidences based on clinical trials should be filed up before adopting it as a standard therapy. In case of advanced gastric cancer, in addition to radical surgery, various treatment modalities including chemotherapy, radiation, and molecular target therapy also have been applied in many clinical trials. However, it should be stressed that a prerequisite for precise evaluation of the efficacy of these combined treatment modalities would be the standardization of surgical procedure.

We sought to determine the clinical presentation, management, and outcomes associated with surgical consultation for symptom palliation in oncology inpatients.

We reviewed the medical records of inpatients for whom surgical consultations were requested (January 2000 to September 2006) at a tertiary referral cancer center to identify those who underwent surgical palliative evaluation (defined as consultation for symptoms attributable to an advanced or incurable malignancy). We used the Cox proportional hazards model to identify prognostic factors associated with overall survival (OS) and logistic regression to identify factors associated with surgical intervention.

Surgical consultation was requested for 1,102 inpatients; 442 (40%) met the criteria for surgical palliative evaluation. Gastrointestinal obstruction was the most common complaint (43%), while wound complications/infection and gastrointestinal bleeding accounted for 10% and 8%, respectively. The median OS was 2.9 months. Adverse prognostic factors for OS included > or = 2 radiologically evident disease sites (HR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.8) and carcinomatosis/sarcomatosis (HR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7). Palliative surgical procedures were performed in 119 (27%) patients, with a 90-day morbidity and mortality rate of 40% and 7% respectively. Patients with wound complications (OR = 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4-7.6), intestinal obstruction (OR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.2), or an intact primary/recurrent tumor (OR = 3.6; 95% CI, 2.2-6.0) were more likely to undergo surgical intervention. Patients with ascites were less likely to undergo surgery (OR = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8).

Surgical palliative evaluations accounted for 40% of inpatient surgical consultations. Given that OS in this population is short and surgery is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, non-operative management is desirable.

Advanced gastric cancer and its palliative treatment have a long and interesting history. Today, gastric adenocarcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Unfortunately, many cases are not diagnosed until late stages of disease, which underscores the importance of the palliative treatment of gastric cancer. Palliative care is best defined as the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Although endoscopy is the most useful method for securing the diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma, computed tomography may be useful to assess local and distant disease. The main indication for the institution of palliative care is the presence of advanced gastric cancer for which curative treatment is deemed inappropriate. The primary goal of palliative therapy of gastric cancer patients is to improve quality, not necessarily length, of life. Four main modalities of palliative therapy for advanced gastric cancer are discussed: resection, bypass, stenting, and chemotherapy. The choice of modality depends on a variety of factors, including individual patient prognosis and goals, and should be made on case-by-case basis. Future directions include the discovery and development of serum or stool tumor markers aimed at prevention, improving prognostication and stratification, and increasing awareness and education.