title: Palliative care for colorectal cancer.
abstract: Most patients with stage IV colorectal cancer have a poor prognosis,but numerous palliative modalities are available today. When a cure is no longer possible, treatment is directed toward providing symptomatic relief. The data leave little doubt that surgical resection may provide good palliation. Although resection has been the mainstay of palliative care, an individualized multidisciplinary approach, which may involve both surgical and nonsurgical modalities, is probably the best current option.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, David Geffen-UCLA School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 72-215 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Farin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amersi
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Stamos
authors.forename: Clifford Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003125:Colostomy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015607:Stents; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019452:Terminally Ill