Liver Cancer Treatment Methods

There are several liver cancer treatment methods available for curing liver cancer.

Liver cancer is the malignancy of the cells in the liver.

Liver cancer is of two types depending on its origin the primary and the secondary liver cancer.

The primary arises and starts in the liver itself and is the less common type and the secondary is the common type which is as a result of spread of cancer originated in other organs of the body and has spread to liver. The diagnosis of this involves various tests including the ultrasound, blood tests, CAT scan, MRI and biopsy.

Liver cancer treatment depends on the size of the tumor and whether there is cirrhosis. A liver disease which has led to liver cancer is Cirrhosis which causes scarring. The reason for this cirrhosis may be due to alcohol abuse, hepatitis B and C, and hemochromatosis.

If the tumor is large accompanied by cirrhosis then liver transplantation is the main method of liver cancer treatment. If there is no cirrhosis and the tumor is small then surgery or any other treatment to destroy the tumor will work fine. (Altrernative Liver Cancer Treatment)

Liver Cancer Treatment with Surgery

Surgery may be the ultimate method of liver cancer treatment when there is no chance of recovery by other methods. Either to remove the tumor or to perform the liver transplantation surgery is performed.

Surgery is preferred for people whom the liver is completely damaged meaning where the cancer has not left any portion unaffected. To just remove the cancer from the liver may not be possible at all the times as the whole liver is damaged therefore in such cases liver transplantation is performed by surgery.

If the liver is affected only by small tumors than surgery may be a good option to remove the affected area and the tumors as visible by the surgeon. But the removal of total cancer is not thoroughly possible either because of the location of the tumors or because not enough normal liver remains.

Liver Cancer Treatment with Radiation Therapy

This method of liver cancer treatment uses high-energy x-rays to kill or shrink cancer cells. External beam radiation delivers radiation from outside the body to the cancer.

More often radiation is not used much to treat this disease as powerful radiations although kill the cancer cells at the same time the normal cells are destroyed which deteriorate the overall health to a large extent.

This type of radiation may be used to shrink a liver tumor or to provide relief from symptoms such as pain, but it does not cure the liver cancer and may not help people to live longer.

Chemotherapy

The use of drugs to kill cancer cells is Chemotherapy. Usually the drugs are given into a vein or consumed orally. Once the drugs enter the bloodstream, they spread throughout the body which means the chemotherapy method is systemic. This method helps destroy the cancer cells that have spread to distant organs.

Unfortunately liver cancer does not respond to most chemotherapy drugs. The drug which has proved to be a bit affective in a way is doxorubicin (Adriamycin). But most studies have not shown that chemotherapy helps liver cancer patients to live longer.