Outcomes of aborted cancer surgery: a call for patient-centered research

While not always sufficient, surgery is a critical component of contemporary multidisciplinary cancer care and is generally necessary for the curative-intent treatment of most solid organ cancers. Patients who undergo aborted cancer surgery may experience many of the same surgical symptoms, need for recovery, and risk of complications as patients who undergo successful curative-intent surgery while simultaneously experiencing the psychosocial distress of a terminal change in their prognosis as well as the side effects of cancer left in situ.

A systematic review of the PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, and PsychInfo databases was performed of literature pertaining to the quality of life, experiences, care needs, coping strategies, and/or preferences of patients following aborted cancer surgery.

Among 12,060 initially identified articles, none met the final inclusion criteria. Given this evidence gap, this commentary summarizes the lack of relevant literature on patient-centered outcomes following aborted cancer surgery and highlights opportunities for future patient-centered research.

There is a significant lack of patient-centered research pertaining to outcomes of aborted cancer surgery. Future research should focus on characterizing patients' experiences, care needs, and preferences following aborted cancer surgery which might inform patient-centered interventions that can lead to improved quality and quantity of life.