Liver Cancer Treatment

Once liver cancer is found, staging tests are done. This will help find out if the cancer has spread and, if so, to what extent. Surgery is the only curative procedure in liver cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can reduce symptoms associated with the cancer. They are not considered curative by themselves.

• Surgery-removal of the cancerous tumor and nearby tissue, and possibly nearby lymph nodes
• Cryosurgery-destroys tumors by freezing them with a metal probe
• Ethanol ablation-kills cancer cells by injecting alcohol directly into the tumor
• Radiation therapy -the use of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may be:
  • External radiation therapy-Radiation directed at the liver from a source outside the body
  • Internal radiation therapy-Radioactive materials placed into the liver in or near the cancer cells
• Chemotherapy -drugs enter the bloodstream and travel through the body to kill mostly cancer cells and some healthy cells; may be given by pill, injection, and via a catheter directly into the liver
• Sorafenib (Nexavar)-a new class of therapies targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF); used for advanced liver cancer, in one study improved overall survival from median 7.9 months to 10.7 months
• Biological therapy-the use of medications or substances made by the body to increase or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer; also called biological response modifier (BRM) therapy