CategoryAbout cancer Treatment of liver cancer according to the stage

   CategoryAbout cancer Treatment of liver cancer according to the stage

 Although the Staging System (TNM) of the AJCC (read "Stages of Liver Cancer") is often used to accurately describe the spread of liver cancer, doctors use a more practical system to determine options for liver cancer. treatment. Liver cancers are classified as: potentially resectable or treatable by transplantation, unresectable, inoperable with only local disease, and advanced. Liver cancer potentially resectable or treatable by transplantation (stage I and some tumors in stage II)

Potentially resectable: If your cancer is at an early stage and the rest of your liver is healthy, surgery (partial hepatectomy) may cure you. Only a few people with liver cancer are in this category. An important factor that affects the outcome is the size of the tumor (or tumors) and whether the adjacent blood vessels are affected. Larger tumors or those that invade blood vessels are more likely to return to the liver and spread elsewhere after surgery. The function of the rest of the liver and its general health are also important. For some people with early-stage liver cancer, liver transplantation may be another option.

Currently, clinical studies investigate whether patients who undergo a partial hepatectomy would benefit from other treatments in addition to the operation. Some studies have found that the use of chemoembolization or other treatments along with surgery can help some patients live longer. Even so, not all studies agree with this and more research is needed to know the value (if any) of adding other treatments to surgery.

Potentially treatable by transplant: If your cancer is at an early stage, but the rest of your liver is not healthy, you may be able to receive treatment with a liver transplant. Liver transplantation may also be an option if the tumor is in a part of the liver that makes it difficult to remove (such as very close to a large blood vessel). It is possible that candidates for liver transplant have to wait a long time for a liver to be available. While they wait, they are usually given other treatments, such as ablation or embolization, to keep the cancer in control. Unresectable liver cancer (some tumors T1 to T4, N0, M0)

Unresectable cancers include cancers that have not yet spread to the lymph nodes or to distant sites, but can not be safely removed by partial hepatectomy. This could be because:  

The tumor is too large to be removed safely.

   The tumor is in a part of the liver that makes it difficult to remove it (such as very close to a large blood vessel).

    There are several tumors or the cancer has spread throughout the liver. Treatment options include ablation, embolization, or both for the liver tumor (s). Other options may include targeted therapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy (systemic or infusion of the hepatic artery) and / or radiotherapy. In some cases, treatment may reduce the size of the tumor or tumors enough so that surgery (partial hepatectomy or transplantation) may be possible. These treatments will not cure cancer, but they can reduce symptoms and may even help you live longer. Because these cancers are difficult to treat, clinical trials of newer treatments may be a good option in many cases. Inoperable liver cancer with only local disease


These cancers are small enough and are in the right place to be removed, but you are not healthy enough for the surgery. Treatment options include ablation, embolization, or both for the liver tumor (s). Other options may include targeted therapy, immunotherapy,

chemotherapy (systemic or infusion of the hepatic artery) and / or radiotherapy. Advanced liver cancers (with metastasis that includes all N1 or M1 tumors) Advanced liver cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other organs. Because these cancers spread widely, they are not treated with surgery.

If your liver is functioning well enough (Child-Pugh Class A or B), therapy with the drug sorafenib (Nexavar) may help control the growth of cancer for a while and may help you live longer. If this medication fails to take effect, the targeted therapy medication regorafenib (Stivarga) or the immunotherapy medication nivolumab (Opdivo) could be useful.

As with localized and unresectable liver cancer, clinical trials of targeted therapies, new methods of chemotherapy (new drugs and new ways of giving chemotherapy), new forms of radiation therapy, as well as other treatments may be able to help. new. These clinical studies are also important to improve the results of future patients.

Treatments, such as radiation, could also be used to help relieve pain and other symptoms. Please be sure to talk to the team of health professionals who treat your cancer about any symptoms you have so they can treat you effectively. Recurrent liver cancer

 A cancer that comes back after treatment is called recurrent. Recurrence can be local (in or near the same place where it started) or distant (spread to organs such as the lungs or bones). The treatment for liver cancer that comes back after initial therapy depends on many factors, including where you came back from, the type of initial treatment, and how well your liver is working. Patients with localized, resectable disease returning to the liver may be candidates for further surgery or other local treatments, such as ablation or embolization. If cancer spreads widely, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy drugs may be options. Patients may also want to ask their doctors if a clinical trial may be appropriate for them.

Treatment can also be given to relieve pain and other side effects. Please be sure to talk to the team of health professionals who treat your cancer about any symptoms you have so they can treat you effectively.