What to Know About Surgery for Liver Cancer
Removing the tumor is the only way to cure liver cancer. Taking your whole tumor out will give you the best chance of survival. The part of the liver that is removed can grow back if you eat well and are in good health. However, it can be hard to remove the whole tumor, even if it has not spread beyond the liver. Surgery is not an option if the cancer has spread past the liver.
What to Know About Ablation
Energy can destroy a liver tumor without removing it. This is called ablation. Your doctor may suggest ablation if you have hepatocellular cancer. One way to kill a liver tumor is with RFA (radiofrequency ablation). This treatment uses a heated probe inside the tumor to kill it. You may have RFA done at the same time as surgery. Your surgeon places scopes through a small cut in your abdomen. This is called laparoscopic ablation. Or the surgeon may pass the probe through your skin. This is called percutaneous ablation.
Another option is to inject highly concentrated alcohol into the tumor to kill the cancer cells. This is called ethanol ablation. Because only small amounts of ethanol can be used, this treatment works best for small liver tumors. For it, the doctor inserts a needle through the skin and injects ethanol into the tumor. This is called percutaneous ethanol ablation.
Because ablation does not kill healthy liver cells, it may be a good treatment for people with many smaller liver tumors. It may also be a good choice for people with hepatitis, cirrhosis, and other liver problems. Although these procedures can destroy more than one liver tumor, they are best for people with small tumors between 3 to 5 centimeters (1.5 to 2.5 inches).
What to Know About TAE
TAE (percutaneous selective transhepatic arterial embolization) is a type of surgery. Its goal is to block the blood supply to liver cancers. The surgeon puts a catheter in your groin and uses X-rays to see how to thread it to your hepatic artery. Then he or she injects special particles, coils, or oils into some branches of this artery to stop blood flow to the tumor. This helps spare normal liver tissue.
What to Know About Liver Transplant
Your doctor may recommend that you have a liver transplant. This treatment is for people who have both cirrhosis and early-stage hepatocellular cancer. It is also a treatment for small tumors that cannot be removed. A transplant is best if you are otherwise in good health and have no tumor outside your liver. Unfortunately there is a shortage of livers. There are also side effects to both the surgery and the antirejection drugs you need after a transplant. Plus, the tumor may return after a transplant. These problems make transplant a limited option.