Question

Mr. Z. has recently had palliative surgery for colon cancer. The purpose of this surgery most probably was:

1) to cure the cancer
2) to prevent the spread of the cancer
3) to relieve symptoms
4) for cosmetic purposes

Answer 1

The most likely purpose of palliative surgery for Mr. Z's colon cancer was to relieve symptoms and improve his quality of life, not to cure the cancer or prevent its spread.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mr. Z. has recently had palliative surgery for colon cancer. The purpose of this surgery most probably was to relieve symptoms. Palliative surgery is generally not intended to cure cancer or prevent its spread but is performed to make a patient more comfortable, particularly in the later stages of the disease when curative treatment is no longer considered effective or possible. This aligns with the broader goals of palliative care, which focus on improving the quality of life for patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification, assessment, and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual.