Liver
cancer or Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the commonest cancers in the
world which have a high incidence of Hepatitis B infection. Apart from
Hepatitis B, it may be caused by other diseases that lead to cirrhosis of the
liver such as Hepatitis C infection, and alcohol abuse.
Unfortunately,
like many other cancers, liver cancer may go undetected until a late stage. It
is often brought to attention by an ultrasound or CT scan done for pain in the
upper abdomen or another unrelated symptom. Liver cancers are malignant tumors
that grow on the surface or inside the liver.
Typers of liver cancer are
HepatocellularCarcinoma , Cholangiocarcinoma , Hepatoblastoma and Angiosarcoma or Hemangiosarcoma
Liver cancer is usually diagnosed with a number of different
tests, which may include:
§ Blood tests: To check your general health and check for a
chemical usually found inincreased levels in people with primary liver cancer.
§ Ultrasound: A picture of the liver is taken using sound waves.
§
Computed Tomography (CT) Scan: A specialised x-ray taken from
many different angles to build a three-dimensional (3-D) picture of the body.
§ Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): Similar to a CT scan, but uses
a powerful magnet and magnetic field instead of x-rays to build an image of the
body.
§ Liver Biopsy: A small piece of liver tissue is removed with a
needle and examined for cancer cells.
§ Laparoscopy: A small cut in the lower abdomen is made and this
allows a thinmini-telescope (laparoscope) to be inserted to look at the liver
and take a sample of liver tissue.
§ Needle Biopsy: Needle biopsy, also called image-guided biopsy,
is usually performed using a (MR) to guide the procedure. In many cases, needle
biopsies are performed with the aid of equipment that creates a
computer-generated image and allows radiologists to see an area inside the body
from various angles. This “stereotactic” equipment helps them pinpoint the
exact location of the abnormal tissue.
§ Large Core Needle Biopsy: In this technique, a special needle is
used that enables the radiologist to obtain a larger biopsy sample. This
technique is often used to obtain tissue samples from lumps or other
abnormalities in the breast that are detected by physical examination or on
mammograms or other imaging scans. moving X-ray technique (fluoroscopy)
computed tomography (CT), ultrasound or magnetic resonance.
§ Surgery:
Procedure to remove a portion of the liver. Your doctor may recommend partial
hepatectomy to remove the liver cancer and a small portion of healthy tissue
that surrounds it if your tumor is small and your liver function is good.
§ Transplant Surgery:
During liver transplant surgery, your diseased liver is removed and replaced
with a healthy liver from a donor. Liver transplant surgery may be an option
for people with early-stage liver cancer who also have cirrhosis.
§ Freezing Cancer Cells:
Cryoablation uses extreme cold to destroy cancer cells. During the procedure,
your doctor places the instrument (cryoprobe) containing liquid nitrogen
directly onto liver tumor.
§ Heating Cancer Cells: In a
procedure called radiofrequency ablation, electric current is used to heat and
destroy cancer cells. It is also called hyperthermia cancer treatment.
§ Injecting Alcohol:
During alcohol injection, 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.
§ Chemoembolization: A
type of chemotherapy treatment that supplies strong anti-cancer drugs directly
to the liver. It is palliative and not curative treatment.
§ Radiation Therapy: This
treatment uses high-powered energy beams to destroy cancer cells and shrink
tumors.
§ Targeted Drug Therapy: Drugs
designed to interfere with a tumor’s ability to generate new blood vessels.
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Nonsurgical Treatments for Liver Cancer at World Class
Hospitals in India
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1) Chemoembolization: Chemoembolization is a
minimally invasive treatment for liver cancer that can be used when there is
too much tumor to treat with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), when the tumor is
in a location that cannot be treated with RFA, or in combination with RFA or
other treatments. In this the anticancer drug is given along with another
substance that blocks the hepatic artery. (artery supplying the liver). Thus
the anticancer drug is gets concentrated in the cancerous portion of the
liver.
2)Radiofrequency Ablation: For inoperable liver tumors,
radiofrequency ablation (RFA) offers a nonsurgical, localized treatment that
kills the tumor cells with heat, while sparing the healthy liver tissue.
Thus, this treatment is much easier on the patient than systemic therapy.
3) Cryosurgery: It is a treatment that uses an
instrument to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue, such as cancerous cells.
This type of treatment is also called Cryotherapy. The doctor may use
ultrasound to guide the instrument.
 4) Drugs called radio-sensitizers may be
given with the radiation therapy to make the cancer cells more sensitive to
radiation therapy.
5) Percutaneous Ethanol Injection: Percutaneous
ethanol injection is a cancer treatment in which a small needle is used to
inject ethanol (alcohol) directly into a tumor to kill cancer cells. The
procedure may be done once or twice a week. Usually local anesthesia is used,
but if the patient has many tumors in the liver, general anesthesia may be
needed.
6) Hyperthermia Therapy: Hyperthermia therapy is a
type of treatment in which body tissue is exposed to high temperatures to
damage and kill cancer cells or to make cancer cells more sensitive to the
effects of radiation and certain anticancer drugs. Because some cancer cells
are more sensitive to heat than normal cells are, the cancer cells die and
the tumor shrinks.
7) Biologic Therapy: Biologic therapy is a
treatment that uses the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. Substances
made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or
restore the body’s natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer
treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy.
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