Liver Cancer Treatment

Liver Cancer Treatment

Malignant neoplasm, commonly known as a cancer is a wide group of disorders with unregulated growth in cells. It comes up with many types and liver cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the world. Liver cancer originates on the surface or inner lining of the liver as a form of tumor. Liver cancer treatment is carried out after diagnosis and staging of tumor in liver. With the growth of cancer cells in the liver, patients feel abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, quick weight loss, Yellow skin and eyes, pale stools, and dark urine from jaundice with weakness and fever.

Diagnosis and medical treatment

Ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans and an elevated blood level of alpha-fetoprotein most effectively diagnoses liver cancer. Liver biopsy can also be effective for successful diagnosis but physicians discourage screening tests. After liver cancer is diagnosed and staged, following treatment procedures are helpful for this epidemic disease:

1. Surgery or Surgical resection

Liver cancer is usually categorized into three stages localized resectable, localized unresectable, and advanced. Surgical treatment is most suitable option if your cancer is at early stage and the rest of your liver is healthy without spread of cancerous cells. Surgery is usually carried out in two ways; a liver transplant and Surgery to remove the cancer from your liver. It also depends on the site and size of tumor to remove by surgery. Localized, unresectable cancers may need liver transplant to deal with large tumors.

2. Chemotherapy

If the existing tumor cannot remove by surgery, then specialists recommend chemotherapy to shrink that tumor. This liver cancer treatment slows down the growth of cancer and controls the other symptoms too.

3. Biological therapy

The term “biological” refers to the natural substances that are derived from the body or drugs obtained by these substances. Sorafenib (protein) is one such example that is used during the treatment of liver cancer cells. The basic function of this clinical trial is to extend the lives of individuals suffering from long-term liver cancer.

4. Chemoembolisation

Chemoembolisation is generally used to stop the cancer’s main blood supply into the liver. Gelatin sponge/plastic beads are injected into the tumors of liver along with the chemotherapy drugs. These beads block the blood vessels to the area of the liver containing cancerous cells. Cancer cells unable to get the required oxygen and necessary food thus shrink.  Chemoembolisation is used with radiotherapy, or radiofrequency ablation for better results.

5. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)

In this treatment procedure, radio waves are used to kill the cancer cells in the liver by heating. During this treatment, ultrasound scan is necessary to point out the exact position of tumor in the liver so that needle can insert into it. That needle sprinkle waves on the tumor to kill it completely.

Conclusion

A great success has been achieved to control the liver cancer due to technological advancements in Liver cancer treatment. These treatments may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, freezing the tumor (cryotherapy), Biological therapy and Radiofrequency ablation (RFA). All these treatments are really effective according to the history of patients.