• Betty R Ferrell, David Z J Chu, Lawrence Wagman, Gloria Juarez, Tami Borneman, Carey Cullinane, and Laurence E McCahill.
• Department of Nursing Research and Education, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA. bferrell@coh.org
• Oncol Nurs Forum. 2003 Nov 1;30(6):E106-14.

Purpose/ObjectivesTo describe a program of research related to outcomes of palliative surgery and focus on one phase of this research involving decision making by patients and surgeons considering surgery for advanced disease.DesignDescriptive.Sample10 patients undergoing surgery and 3 oncology surgeons.MethodsQualitative interviews were conducted with patients and their surgeons pre- and postoperatively. Transcripts were content analyzed to identify major themes in patient and surgeon interviews based on study questions.Main Research VariablesDecision making, palliative surgery, quality of life.FindingsThe study findings highlight the issues of greatest concern to patients and surgeons considering palliative surgery. This phase was an important component of the overall program of palliative surgery research.ConclusionsComprehensive care for patients with advanced cancer seeks to achieve a balance of providing aggressive care, ensuring optimum symptom management, and maintaining a focus on comfort. Further study of palliative surgery as an aspect of interdisciplinary care is warranted.Implications For NursingPatients undergoing surgery for advanced disease require expert nursing care to address quality-of-life concerns. Further research is needed in this area.

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