Successful Management of Malignant Bowel Obstruction

Bowel obstruction is a common problem in patients with abdominal and pelvic malignancies. At the end of life, many patients with this diagnosis are not candidates for surgical intervention to alleviate the obstruction. These patients require thorough assessment and thoughtful interventions as the goal of care shifts to providing comfort and managing symptoms. This article reviews the palliative care of patients with malignant bowel obstruction and presents the successful control of pain, nausea, and vomiting in a 67-year-old woman with metastatic ovarian cancer.