Treatments
Overview
If a patient has adult
primary liver cancer,
more tests will be
done to find out if
cancer cells have spread
to other parts of the
body. This process
is called staging.
A doctor needs to know
the stage of the disease
in order to plan treatment.
The following stages
and treatments are
used for adult primary
liver cancer:
Localized resectable
Cancer is found
in one place in
the liver and can
be totally removed
in an operation.
Treatment is usually
surgery (resection).
Liver transplantation
may be done in
certain patients.
Clinical trials
are testing adjuvant
systemic or regional
chemotherapy following
surgery.
Localized unresectable
Cancer is found
only in one part
of the liver, but
the cancer cannot
be totally removed.
Treatment may be
one of the following:
- Blocking the
hepatic artery
and then injecting
chemotherapy drugs
into the artery
and liver (chemoembolization);
surgery to freeze
and kill the tumor
(cryosurgery);
injection of ethanol
into the tumor;
or use of highly
focused radio waves
designed to destroy
the tumor
- Liver
transplantation
- Regional chemotherapy,
including injecting
the chemotherapy
directly into the
tumor
- Systemic
chemotherapy
- Surgery
with or without chemotherapy,
possibly followed
by radiation therapy
- Injection of
alcohol directly
into the tumor
- Radiation therapy
plus special
drugs that make
the tumor more
susceptible to
the radiation
- Highly
focused radio waves
designed to destroy
the tumor
Advanced
Cancer has spread
through much of the
liver or to other
parts of the body.
Treatment depends
on what treatment
a patient has already
received, the part
of the body where
the cancer has spread,
whether the liver
has cirrhosis, and
other factors. Patients
may wish to consider
taking part in a
clinical trial.
Recurrent
Recurrent
disease means that
the cancer has come
back (recurred) after
it has been treated.
It may come back in
the liver or in another
part of the body. Treatment
depends on what treatment
a patient has already
received, the part
of the body where the
cancer has come back,
whether the liver has
cirrhosis, and other
factors. Patients may
wish to consider taking
part in a clinical
trial.
