Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Stenting or drainage to relieve jaundice in liver and bile duct cancer | CION Cancer Clinics
If a tumour is blocking the bile ducts, a stent placed through a camera or a drain through the skin can usually let bile flow again. The yellow colour, dark urine and itching then fade over the following weeks. This page explains the options, how they are chosen, when they do not help, and which warning signs mean going to hospital the same day. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team supports patients and families through symptoms, follow-up and life during and after treatment.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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The short answer
Can a stent or a drain take the jaundice away?
Often, yes, when the jaundice comes from a blocked bile duct. A thin tube called a stent, or a drain placed through the skin, lets bile flow again, and the yellow colour, the dark urine and much of the itching usually fade over the following weeks. It does not help when the jaundice comes from the liver itself running out of working tissue.
Two very different kinds of jaundice
Bile is made in the liver and travels down narrow ducts to the gut. A tumour can squeeze or block those ducts, so bile backs up into the blood. That is blockage jaundice, and it is the kind a stent can relieve. The other kind happens when cirrhosis or a tumour has replaced so much of the liver that it cannot clear bile at all. No tube fixes that. The difference is explained in more detail on our page about blockage jaundice versus liver-failure jaundice.
Who this page is for
This page is for families told that a tumour in or near the liver is blocking the bile ducts. That includes primary liver cancer, bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) and cancer that has spread to the liver from elsewhere. If the jaundice came on with fever and shivering, read the red box below first.
Relieving the blockage treats the jaundice. It does not treat the cancer, but it often makes cancer treatment possible.The main options
What are the ways to unblock a bile duct?
The choice depends on where the blockage sits, how many ducts are involved and how well you are. Your team will explain why they chose one route over another.
A stent placed from inside (ERCP)
A thin camera passes through the mouth, stomach and into the first part of the gut, where the bile duct opens. A stent is pushed up into the narrowed duct. There is no cut on the skin and nothing outside the body afterwards.
Usually suits
- A blockage lower down the bile duct
- One main duct to open
A drain through the skin (PTBD)
Percutaneous biliary drainage uses an ultrasound or X-ray to guide a needle through the skin into a duct inside the liver. A thin tube is left in place, and bile drains into a bag. Sometimes it is later converted to an internal stent.
Usually suits
- Blockages high up, near where the ducts join
- When ERCP is not possible or has not worked
Plastic or metal stent
Plastic stents are cheaper and easy to swap, but they block sooner. Metal stents stay open longer and are often chosen once the diagnosis is confirmed. Our page on plastic or metal stents explains what decides it.
A bypass operation
Rarely, a surgeon joins the gut directly to the bile duct, usually when an operation is already happening for another reason. Most people never need this.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistFrom scan to relief
What happens when a blocked duct is opened?
The scan shows where the block is
An ultrasound, CT or an MRI of the bile ducts (MRCP) maps the blockage. CION arranges these through partner diagnostic centres, and the tumour board looks at the pictures together.
The route is chosen
A gastroenterologist or interventional radiologist at a partner hospital decides between ERCP and a drain. CION coordinates the referral and stays in touch with them.
The procedure
Both are done under sedation or anaesthetic. A tissue sample from the duct is often taken at the same time, which can confirm the diagnosis without a separate biopsy.
The days after
Urine usually lightens first. The skin and eyes clear more slowly. Itching often eases before the colour has gone. Blood tests check that bilirubin, the yellow pigment, is falling.
Back to the cancer plan
Once bilirubin has come down, the oncologist reviews whether cancer treatment can now start safely.
!
Fever with jaundice cannot wait
Sudden jaundice with fever, shivering or pain in the upper right abdomen can mean an infection behind the blockage, called cholangitis. The same is true of a new fever after a stent, or a drain that suddenly stops draining. Go to hospital today. Do not wait for the next clinic appointment, and tell the doctor about the cancer and the stent.
Commonly believed
Four things families tell us about stents
"Once the stent is in, the cancer is being treated."
The stent only reopens the duct. The tumour is still there and still needs its own plan. Families sometimes relax once the eyes clear, and the cancer treatment slips. Ask what comes next before you leave the hospital.
"The itching will never go away. We just have to bear it."
Itching from blocked bile is one of the most under-treated symptoms in this disease. Draining the bile is the most effective fix, and medicines help too. Our page on itching and what helps covers the options.
"A stent lasts for life."
Stents can block with sludge or tumour growth, plastic ones sooner than metal. Returning yellowness, dark urine or fever means it should be checked, and it can usually be cleared or replaced.
"A bag outside the body means things are hopeless."
An external drain is simply the safest route for some blockages. Many people carry one for a while and then have it changed to an internal stent, or keep it while continuing treatment.
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Not for everyone
When does a stent not help?
A stent will not lower bilirubin when the jaundice comes from the liver failing rather than from a blockage. Advanced cirrhosis, or tumour spread through most of the liver, raises bilirubin in a way no tube can reverse. Scans usually show this: the ducts are not widened, because nothing is backing up.
When many small ducts are blocked
Sometimes the tumour blocks many small branches inside the liver. A single stent then drains only part of the liver, and the jaundice falls less than hoped. Your team may explain that draining enough of the liver is not possible.
When the procedure would cost more than it gives
For someone who is very unwell near the end of life, a drain may add hospital visits without improving comfort. In that situation the palliative care team can treat the itching and discomfort directly. Choosing not to have a procedure is a reasonable decision, not a failure of care. Our page on palliative care alongside treatment explains how that support works.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which kind of jaundice you have, or whether a stent or a drain is right for you. That depends on your scans, your blood tests and where exactly the blockage lies. The doctor who has seen the MRCP or CT pictures is the one who can answer it.
It cannot give you a cost
The cost of ERCP, a drain or a stent varies by hospital, by the type of stent and by how long you stay. Ask the partner hospital for a written, itemised estimate before the procedure. Schemes such as Aarogyasri and Ayushman Bharat may cover some of it. The rules change, so check them at the time with the hospital's scheme desk.
Who to ask
Bring your latest scan and blood reports to your oncologist. If you have been told nothing can be done for jaundice or itching, a second opinion is reasonable. CION's team can review the reports and coordinate the procedure with a partner hospital if one is needed.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about stents and drains for jaundice
How quickly does jaundice fade after a stent?
The urine usually lightens within a few days and itching often eases early. The yellow colour of the skin and eyes takes longer, often a few weeks. Blood tests show the bilirubin falling before you can see the change in the mirror. If it is not falling, your team will look for the reason.
Is ERCP or a drain painful?
Both are done with sedation or anaesthetic, so most people feel little during the procedure. A drain through the skin can be sore around the entry point for a few days, and painkillers that are safe for the liver help. A sore throat after ERCP is common and settles quickly.
Does CION do the ERCP or the drain itself?
No. These are done by gastroenterologists and interventional radiologists at accredited partner hospitals. CION's oncologists review the scans, decide with the tumour board when relief is needed, coordinate the referral and plan the cancer treatment that follows.
Can we go home with an external drain?
Yes. You will be shown how to empty the bag, keep the site clean and flush the tube if asked. Our page on living with a biliary drain covers daily care. Call if the drain stops, leaks or falls out.
What if the stent blocks again?
The signs are returning yellowness, dark urine, pale stools, itching or fever. With fever, go to hospital today. Without fever, contact your team promptly. A blocked stent can usually be cleaned or replaced, and a metal stent is often used the second time.
Will the stent help my appetite and energy?
Often a little. When bile reaches the gut again, fat is digested better, the itching that ruins sleep eases and some people feel more like eating. It will not reverse weight loss or tiredness caused by the cancer itself, so a nutrition review still helps.
Can a stent be placed if I have cirrhosis?
Usually, yes, though the team takes extra care with clotting and fluid in the abdomen. The bigger question is whether the jaundice is from blockage or from the cirrhosis itself. Only the first kind improves with a stent.
Why did the doctor take a sample during the stent?
Brushings or a small biopsy from the narrowed duct can show whether cancer is present and what type. For bile duct cancer this tissue may also be used for molecular testing. It saves a separate procedure, though sometimes the sample is too small and needs repeating.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Palliative Therapy for Bile Duct Cancer
- Merck Manual Consumer Version — Jaundice in Adults
- Cancer Research UK — Treatment for bile duct cancer
- NHS — Jaundice
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Why treatment often waits until the jaundice settlesWhat happens to the cancer plan once the stent is inBlocked stents, fever and when to come back urgentlyThe signs that a stent needs attention todayItching from jaundice and what actually helpsRelief for the itch while the bile clearsBiliary stent for pancreatic cancerThe same procedure, described step by step
Talk to us
Told nothing can be done for the jaundice or itching?
Send us the latest scan and blood reports and an oncologist will look at whether the blockage can be relieved and what treatment could follow. One helpline serves every CION centre.