Bowel obstruction is a common complication in patients with far advanced abdominal or pelvic cancer. In patients with recurrent or advanced disease, where options for curative treatment have been exhausted, palliation of symptoms with minimal additional morbidity is the aim of therapy. Owing to the difficulties inherent in conducting perspective randomized trials, clinicians face a significant challenge in managing terminally ill obstructed patients. We evaluated the case of a woman with ovarian cancer. Clinically, the objective of the study was to focus attention on the most up-to-date evidence concerning the treatment of malignant bowel obstruction.