PALLIATIVE SURGERY

Sometimes cancer cannot be cured with any type of treatment. At this point, palliative surgery may be performed. Palliative surgery is not intended to cure the person or even prolong life. Palliative surgery is done to improve the quality of a person's life and help the patient live as comfortably as possible.

Some of the uncomfortable symptoms that may be eased or relieved by this kind of surgery are:

pain
the inability to move or to function as usual and
removing an obstruction that blocks a necessary body function (such as in the bowel or bladder)

To learn more about palliative surgery, call your local chapter of the American Cancer Society, or call (800) ACS-2345 or the National Cancer Institute at (800) 4-CANCER.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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