Journal of pain and symptom management
-
J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2014
Review Meta AnalysisA meta-analysis of randomized trials: immediate stent placement vs. surgical bypass in the palliative management of malignant biliary obstruction.
Many patients with unresectable pancreatic and peripancreatic cancer require treatment for malignant biliary obstruction. ⋯ Nearly all patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer benefit from some procedure to manage biliary obstruction. Patients with low surgical risk benefit more from surgery because the risk of recurrence and subsequent hospital utilization are lower than after stent placement.