title: ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿Palliative surgery for advanced fungating skin cancers﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿.
abstract: ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿Advanced skin cancers sometimes develop complex wounds with associated pain, infection, malodor, massive discharge, and bleeding, which distresses patients and decreases his or her quality of life (QoL). The following cases presented large fungating skin ulcers that were treated with palliative abrasion along with wound resurfacing using free skin grafting. Palliative surgery allowed the patients to lead a more comfortable daily life at home with family. Simple palliative surgery can improve the QoL of terminal patients by reducing wound secretion, odors, and the risk of infection, and consequently, can improve nutritional status and their overall health condition.
authors.affiliation: ﻿Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, National Hospital Organization, Nagasaki Medical Center, Ohmura City, Japan; Email:mfujioka@nmc.hosp.go.jp.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.affiliation: ﻿
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yakabe