Palliative Care

Patients receive palliative care to control pain and other symptoms caused by the cancer and to relieve the side effects of treatment. There are several methods of pain control, including pain medicines, nerve blocks (a procedure in which alcohol is used to block pain), and complementary therapies (such as massage or acupuncture). Palliative surgery, such as stent placement or bypass surgery, may also be used to relieve bile duct blockage and the symptoms it may cause.