title: Should pelvic exenteration for symptomatic relief in gynaecology malignancies be offered?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the outcomes of pelvic exenterative surgery done with a palliative intent and evaluate its role in relapsed gynaecology malignancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective cohort study between April 2009 and May 2012 in Oxford Gynaecological Cancer Centre. Patients were identified from the oncology surgical database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  18 patients were identified with a mean age 54 (26-79) years, who underwent surgery for symptomatic recurrent cancer. All except one patient had radiotherapy prior to surgery. 12 patients had cervical cancer, five had vulval cancer and one had endometrial cancer. About half of the patients had major surgical complications; however, majority was patients satisfied with the outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pelvic exenteration in this context carries considerable morbidity and in this series achieved good symptom control with a mean overall survival of 11 months. Careful patient selection, adequate counselling and ongoing support are imperative of successful outcome.
authors.affiliation: Oxford University Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, UK, pupath@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pathiraja
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sandhu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Instone
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haldar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kehoe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010385:Pelvic Exenteration; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome