Surgical palliation of bowel obstruction

MBO is a common but difficult problem for surgeons caring for cancer patients. Nonsurgical interventions should be considered in all patients who have MBO, especially in those with limited expected survival time or for whom surgery will have little effect on disease control. Surgical options can be helpful in the setting of MBO, as long as reasonable goals and realistic outcomes are clear. There is no defined algorithm for all patients with MBO, and decision-making is based on reasonable estimates of survival and treatment-related success. Therefore, better prospective data need to be collected for this population of patients. In addition, a randomized prospective trial comparing treatments based on the clinical scenario could help practitioners who care for patients with this condition.