palliative

Serving to palliate; serving to extenuate or mitigate.

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

Something that palliates, particularly a palliative medicine.

The radiation and chemotherapy were only palliatives.

Mary heard with sorrow, and fear also, of the projected journey; but the altered expression of Isabella's countenance was a great palliative—dreadful as it was that her husband should love another...