Surgical Procedures for Advanced Tumor Disease. A Prospective Study Evaluating Quality of Life

Surgical Procedures for Advanced Tumor Disease. A Prospective Study Evaluating Quality of Life

Patients in a known palliative setting and with localized symptoms due to tumor growth will be evaluated for their quality of life before and after a surgical intervention (primary endpoint). Medical outcome in terms of length of stay in hospital, length of stay on a intensive care unit, complications, reinterventions will be recorded (secondary endpoints). The investigators will also observe patients with conservative treatment.

What is the impact on quality of life by operations in symptomatic advanced tumor disease ? After informed consent patients in known palliative situations and with localized symptoms due to tumor growth will be enrolled in our study. The investigators will assess Quality of life with the EORTC QLQ C30-questionnaire and collect data about the disease an the actual state of the patients.

By the time of discharge out of hospital the investigators will hand out the questionnaire again and the investigators will collect data regarding the therapies, operations, complications, reinterventions, time spent on a intensive care unit, time spent in hospital.

The questionnaire will be completed after 4 and 12 weeks as well.

Inclusion Criteria:

• informed consent
• tumor patients within a known palliative situation, patients do know about the absence of a curative treatment
• patients are symptomatic because of localized tumor growth
• patients having an operation for symptom relief or treated without surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with an only intraoperatively seen palliative tumor disease
• debulking operations, prophylactic operations for prevention of symptoms, operations for venous access (an exception will be made for enteric bypass operations in patients with a yet preserved passage)
• dementia, age ≤ 18, barrier of speech