palliative

(adjective)

Minimizing the progression of a disease and relieving undesirable symptoms for as long as possible, rather than attempting to cure the (usually incurable) disease.

Related Terms

Examples of palliative in the following topics:

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

    • Palliative treatments for CTS include use of night splints and corticosteroid injection.

  • Pancreatic Cancer

    • In patients not suitable for resection with curative intent, palliative chemotherapy may be used to improve quality of life and gain a modest survival benefit.

  • Lung Cancer

    • Common treatments include palliative care, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

  • Colorectal Cancer

    • If the cancer is widely metastatic or not removable surgically, treatment is then palliative.