Whether surgical palliative therapy is appropriate for oncologic veterinary patients is an increasing concern as pet age increases because of improved care. In this study, an online survey (available for 30 days), comprising 100 questions with structured response options, was administered to 492 diplomates of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS). The survey queried the technical, ethical, social, medical, and financial aspects of surgical palliative therapy for oncologic veterinary patients. Responses were received from 155 ECVS diplomates (31.5%, n = 155/492). Palliative surgery was a relatively common intervention in veterinary oncology, with 50% of respondents (n = 77.5/155) indicating that 75%–100% of oncological surgeries performed were palliative. The presence of metastasis was judged as a key determinant when deciding to perform palliative oncological surgery by 41% of the respondents (n = 63.5/155). The survey revealed that the most commonly performed procedures in palliative oncological surgery were marginal resection, debulking, and amputation. In contrast to human medicine, palliative limb-sparing surgery, stent placement, and embolization were rarely used in veterinary settings, mainly because of a general lack of expertise among veterinarians, elevated costs, and recourse to euthanasia. Taken together, the survey results highlight the need for appropriate guidelines in the field of oncological surgery. To establish general guidelines and direct veterinarians towards the most appropriate judgement, understanding how and what veterinary surgeons manage palliative oncological surgery and how they perceive the main ethical, social, medical, and financial concerns are essential. Such guidelines will lead to better care for ailing animals and will facilitate the path to healing for owners.

中文翻译：

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姑息治疗在兽医外科肿瘤学中的作用的实践模式

随着宠物年龄的增长，由于护理得到改善，手术姑息治疗是否适合肿瘤兽医患者越来越受到关注。在这项研究中，对欧洲兽医学院 (ECVS) 的 492 名外交官进行了一项在线调查（为期 30 天），包括 100 个问题和结构化的回答选项。该调查询问了肿瘤兽医患者手术姑息治疗的技术、伦理、社会、医疗和财务方面。收到了 155 名 ECVS 外交官的回复（31.5%，n  = 155/492）。姑息性手术是兽医肿瘤学中相对常见的干预措施，50% 的受访者（n = 77.5/155）表明 75%–100% 的肿瘤手术是姑息性的。在决定进行姑息性肿瘤手术时，有 41% 的受访者将是否存在转移判断为关键决定因素（n = 63.5/155）。调查显示，姑息性肿瘤手术中最常用的手术是边缘切除、减瘤和截肢。与人类医学相比，姑息性保肢手术、支架置入和栓塞术在兽医机构中很少使用，主要是因为兽医普遍缺乏专业知识、成本高昂以及求助于安乐死。总之，调查结果强调了在肿瘤外科领域制定适当指南的必要性。为了建立一般指南并指导兽医做出最适当的判断，了解兽医如何以及什么管理姑息性肿瘤手术以及他们如何看待主要的伦理、社会、医疗和财务问题至关重要。