A survey of general surgeons suggests that the amount of education and training they receive in palliative care is limited, according to a study in the September issue of Archives of Surgery.
Previous studies have indicated that surgeons receive little training in palliative surgical intervention, the objective of which is to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life rather than cure disease or extend survival, according to background information in the article. Because the goals of surgical palliation must be balanced with the associated risks of surgery, the decision to operate can be challenging for even the most experienced surgeon. Deficiencies in training during residencies and insufficient education in the evaluation of surgical options when there is not much hope of cure may contribute to a lack of consensus treatment recommendations for patients with advanced cancer and a variety of common symptoms, the authors suggest.
Joseph M. Galante, M.D., of the University of California, Davis, Medical Center, Sacramento, Calif., and colleagues surveyed 124 surgeons in Sacramento, and the surrounding area about the type and extent of their postgraduate education in palliative surgery. The surgeons were also asked to select the single best treatment option from a preset list for four clinical scenarios and to identify the goals of the intervention and the three most important factors influencing their decision.