Liver cancer, like all forms of cancer, is a potentially life-threatening condition. Liver cancer is where cells in the liver and/or bile ducts that connect to the liver become cancerous. There are many potential causes, signs, and symptoms of liver cancer, and it is one of the fastest-growing forms of cancer in the world. There are also several different types of liver cancer, but they are treated similarly.
If you have liver cancer, early diagnosis is essential. The sooner you have your condition diagnosed, the sooner treatment can begin, and the more likely it is that you can have it cured. For instance, the survival rate of early-stage liver cancer is nearly three to four times that of late-stage liver cancer, where you start treatment too late. While anyone can get liver cancer, those who drink large amounts of alcohol or have primary sclerosing cholangitis, cirrhosis, or liver diseases are at the most risk and should be screened regularly.
One of the first treatment options for people with liver cancer is to have surgery to remove the cancer if it is in the form of a tumour. This form of treatment is most successful in the early stages of cancer before it has had a chance to spread to other parts of the body. If your cancer has spread, tumour removal surgery in the liver may not be an option.
There are also a number of localized treatments for liver cancer.
Heating cancer cells, known as radiofrequency ablation, is an effective way to kill damaging cancer cells. This is done by superheating only harmful cancer cells while avoiding healthy liver cells around them. If heating the cells is not effective, you can also opt to freeze them with a process known as cryoablation. With this treatment, liquid nitrogen gets injected into cancer cells in the liver, killing them, but protecting healthy cells around them.
In addition to heating or freezing cancer cells, you can also try injecting alcohol or chemo medications into them. This kills the cells, and is a very targeted form of therapy, in that it protects healthy parts of the liver.
Finally, you can take beads and fill them with radiation for a form of targeted radiation therapy. The beads are then injected into cancer cells to kill them.
Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatments for all forms of cancer, including liver cancer. Chemotherapy consists of medications that kill cancer cells. This treatment is often used before or after liver surgery or if the cancer spreads to other parts of the body. The downside of chemotherapy is that it also kills healthy cells and parts of the liver, not just cancerous ones.
Often used in combination with chemo, radiation therapy is another common liver cancer treatment. Radiation therapy consists of high-powered beams of radiation energy that get sent into the liver. The energy kills cancer cells but, once again, also kills healthy parts of the liver. Radiation therapy is often used when the cancer spreads or before or after surgery.
If less invasive treatments are unsuccessful but the cancer remains localized to the liver, you may need a liver transplant. During this surgical procedure, your damaged, cancerous liver is removed and replaced with a healthy one. As long as the cancer has not spread outside of the liver, a transplant will remove all the cancer from your body.
While liver cancer is treatable, it is an aggressive, fast-spreading form of cancer that is increasing in popularity. As such, it is important to get screened for liver cancer, especially if you have a disease or condition that puts you at increased risk. It is also important to start treatment as soon as the cancer is discovered to give yourself the best chance of survival.