Experiences of the management of malignant bowel obstruction
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences of the management of malignant bowel obstruction: patients, carers and clinicians
IRAS ID
306919
Contact name
Michael Patterson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Hull
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 14 days
Research summary
Blockage of the bowel due to cancer or its treatments (malignant bowel obstruction) affects around one in six people with cancer. It is one of the most distressing complications of cancer stopping people’s ability to eat and drink, causing severe pain, nausea and vomiting, and death. It has a continuous and profound effect on quality of life and remains a challenging condition facing clinical care teams. Making decisions about treatment can be difficult as there are no nationally agreed guidelines.
Two interventions that aim to improve quality of life in malignant bowel obstruction are parenteral nutrition (feeding through the veins) and venting gastrostomy (tube drainage of the stomach). Parenteral nutrition allow patients to receive nutrition despite blockage of the bowel, with gastrostomy drainage allows a reduction in nausea and vomiting.
The aim of this study is to gain an understanding of clinicians’ decision-making in the management of malignant bowel obstruction, and to gain an understanding of patients’ and carers' experiences of venting gastrostomy and parenteral nutrition in malignant bowel obstruction.
We aim to interview clinicians from varying clinical specialties (Cancer, Surgery, Palliative care) from two separate hospitals. We aim to interview patients who receive either parenteral nutrition or venting gastrostomy, sometime both, from two separate hospitals. We will identify patients through hospital clinics, multi-disciplinary team meetings and those admitted to the inpatient facilities.
At the end of the study, we aim to have a greater understanding of clinicians’ decision-making in the management of malignant bowel obstruction and a greater understanding of patients’ and carers' experiences of venting gastrostomy and parenteral nutrition in malignant bowel obstruction.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/WM/0053
Date of REC Opinion
7 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion