Palliative care in ovarian carcinoma patients—a personalized approach of a team work: a review

• Published in: Archives of gynecology and obstetrics Vol. 296; no. 4; pp. 691 - 700
• Main Authors: Segev, Yakir, Segev, Lior, Schmidt, Meirav, Auslender, Ron, Lavie, Ofer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-10-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; Endocrinology; Female; Gynecology; Hospice care; Human Genetics; Humans; Intestinal obstruction; Intestinal Obstruction - therapy; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial - pathology; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial - therapy; Obstetrics/Perinatology/Midwifery; Ovarian cancer; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Ovarian Neoplasms - therapy; Pain; Palliative care; Palliative Care - methods; Recurrence; Review; Bowel obstruction; Pain; Ascites; Palliative; Ovarian cancer
• ISSN: 0932-0067; 1432-0711
• DOI: 10.1007/s00404-017-4484-8

Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed in an advanced stage; and after the initial treatment experience disease recurrence, which eventually becomes palliative. Many questions arise in this setting including how to address patients in the palliative setting, how to discuss end-of-life issues, and how to manage symptoms. In this review, we discuss the timing and setting of end-of-life discussion in the context of end-stage ovarian cancer. We review the approach to relieving disease burden by improving and decreasing symptoms. These symptoms include recurrent ascites, bowel obstruction, pain, pulmonary effusion, and deep vein thrombosis.