Lack of well designed and completed clinical studies is a matter of concern regarding the scientific basis for treatment within the field of palliative surgery. While some procedures and a few clinical problems have been focused in prospective (randomized) studies, many common clinical problems and challenges seem to be solved based on limited scientific documentation.
In spite of the difficult situation for many patients with advanced malignant disease, it seems possible and necessary to improve our research efforts to provide useful documentation of effects related to palliative surgical procedures. Controlled studies should be performed when possible.
Since palliative cancer surgery demands a major part of the resources in cancer care, all procedures registered ought to be coded as being palliative or curative. This combined with information reported to the Cancer Registry would give us new possibilities in assessing both effects and costs related to cancer surgery.