The liver is the body's largest organ, and it carries a major workload in filtering out toxins. Unfortunately, the liver sometimes falls victim to cancer spread from other parts of the body. This secondary cancer, or metastatic cancer, requires treatment in the early stages for it to be cured, according to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Typically this type of liver cancer originates from advanced breast cancer, colorectal cancer or lung cancer that spreads to the liver.
Surgery
Currently the best chance for curing liver cancer lies in the removal of the tumor through surgery or the transplant of the liver. Survival chances can increase dramatically if the surgeon is able to remove most or the entire tumor.
Radiofrequency ablation (heat) or cryosurgery (extreme cold) can be used to burn or freeze the tumor in place when surgical removal is not possible, according to the MD Anderson Cancer Center. This method can sometimes significantly prolong survival for some patients.
Embolization is the surgical injection of tiny plastic pellets used to block the blood flow to the tumor and therefore preventing it to grow.
If the patient also has cirrhosis of the liver or the tumor is very large, total transplant from a donor may be required.
Radiation
While radiation is no cure for liver cancer, it is an effective treatment in some patients. The rays target the tumor and shrink or kill the cells that give the tumor life. The treatment must be used carefully, as the radiation will also destroy healthy normal cells in the area. This method sometimes shrinks the tumor or relieves pain.
Chemotherapy
The MD Anderson Cancer Center says chemotherapy is not a common treatment for liver cancer because of a low response rate, but research is looking into new ways of administering chemotherapy to make it more effective. Chemotherapy uses a drug, or combination of drugs, to kill cancer cells.
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