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Alternative medicine

By Mayo Clinic staff

Alternative treatments may help control pain in people with advanced liver cancer. Your doctor will work to control pain with treatments and medications. But sometimes your pain may persist or you may want to avoid the side effects of pain medications.

Ask your doctor about alternative treatments that may help you cope with pain, such as:

  • Acupressure
  • Acupuncture
  • Deep breathing
  • Listening to music (music therapy)
  • Massage
References
  1. Marrero JA, et al. Modern diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Clinics in Liver Disease. 2009;13:233.
  2. What you need to know about liver cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/liver/allpages/print. Accessed May 13, 2009.
  3. Weber S, et al. Liver and bile duct cancer. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:1569.
  4. Hepatobiliary cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/hepatobiliary.pdf. Accessed May 13, 2009.
  5. What is liver cancer? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_liver_cancer_25.asp?sitearea=. Accessed May 27, 2009.
  6. Liver cancer: Questions to ask the doctor. Cancer.Net. http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Liver+Cancer. Accessed May 13, 2009.
  7. Nguyen CT, et al. Hepatitis vaccination and prophylaxis. Clinics in Liver Disease. 2009;13:317.
  8. Hepatitis C. American Liver Foundation. http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/hepatitisc/. Accessed May 27, 2009.
  9. Bruix J, et al. AASLD practice guideline: Management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology. 2005;42:1208.

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July 2, 2009

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