Custom Search

Know the Treatment of Liver Cancer

Thursday, March 4, 2010 6:18:00 PM Posted by Cancer Centers

The liver is the largest organ in the body, and the main heat-producing organ. It is surrounded by a fibrous capsule and is divided into sections called lobes. It is in the upper part of the abdomen on the right-hand side of the body and is surrounded and protected from injury by the lower ribs.

The liver is an extremely important organ that has many functions. This includes producing proteins that circulate in the blood. Some of these help the blood to clot and prevent excessive bleeding, while others are essential for maintaining the balance of fluid in the body.

Radiofrequency ablation procedure, electric current in the radiofrequency range is used to destroy malignant cells. Using an ultrasound or CT scan as a guide, your surgeon
inserts several thin needles into small incisions in your abdomen. When the needles reach the tumor, they're heated with an electric current, destroying the malignant cells. Radiofrequency ablation is an option for people with small, unresectable hepatocellular tumors and for some types of metastatic liver cancers. Although the procedure has a somewhat higher risk of serious complications than alcohol injection does, it appears to provide better outcomes.

On the day of treatment, the patient is given a mild sedative and pain medication. The radiologist makes a tiny incision in the groin—no larger than the tip of a pencil—to gain access to the femoral artery. Using moving X-ray images (fluoroscopy) as a visual guide, the physician directs a thin, flexible tube (catheter) through the artery and into the main blood vessel feeding the liver tumor. The radioactive beads are injected and carried in the bloodstream up to the tumor, where they embed and slowly kill the cancerous cells.

Surgery is increasingly being used for patients with secondary liver cancer. This can sometimes involve removing a segment of liver. Alternatively, keyhole techniques can be used to apply extreme cold or heat to localized areas of the liver.

The presence of secondary cancer within the liver implies that the primary tumor has spread via the bloodstream and as a result other organs may be at risk.

Hepatocellular cancer is more likely to develop in people with chronic cirrhosis. Your specialist may suggest a liver transplant if you have cirrhosis of the liver because of previous liver disease, infection with a hepatitis virus or from drinking alcohol. You will only benefit from a liver transplant if you have a single liver tumour that is less than 5cm across, or up to 3 tumours all less than 3cm across. Radiation Exposure can lead to liver sarcomas, sometimes as long as 5 decades after the exposure. The common thread to liver cancer risk factors is chronic irritation, which causes the liver cells to divide more quickly than they ordinarily would to repair perceived damage.

Liver Cancer Treatment
Primary liver cancer is cancer that forms in the tissues of the liver. Secondary liver cancer is cancer that spreads to the liver from another part of the body. The only real cure for liver cancer is an organ transplant,” explains Zuckerman, an associate professor and interventional radiologist at UC. “But this procedure allows us to stabilize the patient’s condition by controlling cancer growth and shrinking the tumor.

Liver Cancer Treatment
Surgery: is the most effective treatment for primary liver cancer, but this is not always possible due to the size or position of the tumour. It is also not possible to operate if the cancer has spread beyond the liver. If the liver is severely damaged by cirrhosis it may not be safe to have surgery.

Alcohol injection: In this procedure, pure alcohol is injected directly into tumors, either through the skin or during an operation. Alcohol dries out the cells of the tumor and eventually the cells die. Each treatment consists of one injection, although you may need a series of injections for the best results. Alcohol injection has been shown to improve survival in people with small hepatocellular tumors. It may also be used to help reduce symptoms in cases of metastatic liver cancer.

Liver transplantation: Liver transplantation is surgery to remove a diseased liver and replace it with a healthy liver from an organ donor. A liver transplant is necessary when disease makes the liver stop working. The most common reason for liver transplantation in adults is cirrhosis, a disease in which healthy liver cells are killed and replaced with scar tissue.

Radiofrequency ablation: In this procedure, electric current in the radiofrequency range is used to destroy malignant cells. Using an ultrasound or CT scan as a guide, your surgeon inserts several thin needles into small incisions in your abdomen. When the needles reach the tumor, they're heated with an electric current, destroying the malignant cells. Radiofrequency ablation is an option for people with small, unresectable hepatocellular tumors and for some types of metastatic liver cancers. Although the procedure has a somewhat higher risk of serious complications than alcohol injection does, it appears to provide better outcomes.

Chemoembolization: Chemoembolization is most beneficial to patients whose disease is limited to the liver. Some success has been demonstrated with patients whose cancer has spread to other areas. Patients with kidney disease, blood coagulation problems, or known allergies to contrast agents are not good candidates for this procedure.

Radiation therapy: This treatment uses high-powered energy beams to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside your body or from
radiation-containing materials inserted into your liver. Radiation may be used on its own to treat localized unresectable cancer. Or you may have radiation therapy following surgical removal of a tumor to help destroy any remaining malignant cells. Radiation side effects may include fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

Chemotherapy: This treatment uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy is generally not effective in treating liver cancer, but may be a treatment option in certain cases.


0 Response to "Know the Treatment of Liver Cancer"

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...