Abstract

PATINO PACHECO, Jairo H et al. Quality of life of patients with malignant obstruction of the esophagus, the bile ducts and the urinary tract after palliative radiological interventions. Iatreia [online]. 2005, vol.18, n.2, pp.141-159. ISSN 0121-0793.

When diagnosis is established in cases of malignant tumors causing esophageal, bile duct or urinary tract obstruction, most patients have palliative intervention as their only alternative. Disabling symptoms, threat to the existence and fear of death affect the quality of life. In this series, radiological palliative interventions were carried out in 25 patients, namely: self-expanding metallic stents for either the esophagus or the bile ducts, and percutaneous nephrostomy. Patients were evaluated before the intervention and 1, 3, and 6 months after it; evaluation included clinical symptoms, paraclinical data, complications of the procedure, pain (visual analogous scale) and quality of life (SF36 questionnaire). In the 8 patients with esophageal carcinoma pain and dysphagia improved and quality of life and body mass index remained stable. In the 11 patients with urinary tract obstruction BUN, creatinin and quality of life improved at 1 and 3 months after the intervention; in the 6 patients with bile ducts obstruction bilirrubin, pruritus, nausea and quality of life had improved one month after the intervention, while nutritional status remained stable.

Keywords : cancer; palliative care; quality of life; radiological interventionism.

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