[Prognosis of Patients after Palliative Stoma Creation]

We evaluated the effectiveness of palliative stomas created to resolve symptoms of bowel obstruction.

We retrospectively evaluated patient characteristics and outcomes in 16 cases of palliative enterostomy performed to resolve malignant bowel obstruction.

The median age of the patients was 64 years, and the most common original cancer was colorectal cancer(11 cases, 69%). Oral intake was recovered in 15 patients after the surgery(94%), and the colorectal obstruction scoring system(CROSS)score improved from 2 to 4. Postoperative complications(Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅱ or higher)were observed in 8 cases(50%), in which serum albumin levels were less than 3.5 g/dL(p=0.077), resulting in longer hospital stays(p=0.041). The median overall survival time was 107 days, and longer survival time was achieved in patients aged younger than 70 years, with CA19-9 levels C37.7 U/mL and postoperative CROSS score of 4, who were administered postoperative chemotherapy. The chemotherapy was feasible after surgery when CROSS scores improved to 4(p=0.019).

Palliative stomas contributed to the improvement in oral intake of patients with terminal cancer. This improvement may allow patients to receive postoperative chemotherapy, which leads to longer survival times.