Palliative management of rectal cancer: the roles of chemotherapy and radiation therapy
LB Saltz - Journal of gastrointestinal surgery, 2004 - Springer
Journal of gastrointestinal surgery, 2004•Springer
One of the first maxims of oncologic care is that we must never miss an opportunity to cure a
patient. Perhaps an equally important corollary is that to provide the best possible care for
each individual, it is necessary to accurately recognize when a curative option does not exist
and to adjust our treatment recommendations accordingly. A discussion of palliative care in
a patient with rectal cancer must therefore be based on the assumption that the patient does
not have a realistic chance of undergoing a curative intervention.
patient. Perhaps an equally important corollary is that to provide the best possible care for
each individual, it is necessary to accurately recognize when a curative option does not exist
and to adjust our treatment recommendations accordingly. A discussion of palliative care in
a patient with rectal cancer must therefore be based on the assumption that the patient does
not have a realistic chance of undergoing a curative intervention.
Abstract
One of the first maxims of oncologic care is that we must never miss an opportunity to cure a patient. Perhaps an equally important corollary is that to provide the best possible care for each individual, it is necessary to accurately recognize when a curative option does not exist and to adjust our treatment recommendations accordingly. A discussion of palliative care in a patient with rectal cancer must therefore be based on the assumption that the patient does not have a realistic chance of undergoing a curative intervention.
Springer