Primary liver cancer arises from a malignant tumor in the liver. The human liver filters waste from the body, stores nutrients and creates bile, which is necessary for us to get nutrition from our food. It also creates factors that help our blood to clot. Most liver cancer cases involve hepatocellular carcinomas, which may begin as one single tumor or many spots on the liver. There are several less-common types of primary liver cancer as well. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Liver Cancer Center has been in operation for a decade and utilizes several treatments for primary liver cancer.
Surgery
For some patients, it is possible to surgically remove the part of the liver containing the tumor. The UPMC Liver Cancer Center relates that up to 75 percent of the liver can be removed and the rest of the liver can adequately serve the body.
Internal Radiation
With this treatment, doctors use tiny beads containing radiation to destroy the cancerous tumor. These beads are placed in the bloodstream and they end up in the small blood vessels that nourish the tumor. This allows the radiation to destroy the tumor without harming the healthy tissue.
X-Ray Treatment
An x-ray treatment, called CyberKnife, is available for tumors that cannot be resected. Prior to this procedure, doctors place small pellets into the area around the tumor to assist with pinpointing its location and perform a CT scan to closely determine the exact area that should be treated. During the procedure, which occurs at a different time, physicians deliver strong x-rays precisely to the tumor site to destroy or minimize the tumor. This may be repeated if necessary.
Targeted Chemotherapy
The physicians at UPMC Liver Cancer Center use targeted chemotherapy for some patients. This involves placing cancer-killing drugs into one of the two blood vessels that feed the liver. Then, the drugs are blocked from leaving the liver, staying there for up to a month to destroy the cancer. Meanwhile, the healthy part of the liver is fed by the second blood vessel. This method allows doctors to use a higher dose of chemotherapy than they normally could give intravenously.
Radio-Frequency Treatment
With radio-frequency treatment, doctors insert a probe into the area of the tumor. According to UPMC, the probe delivers an alternating current that destroys the tumor by burning it.
Liver Transplant
Some patients are candidates for a liver transplant. Usually, these patients have cirrhosis as well as early stage hepatocellular carcinoma, but patients with other types of liver tumors are sometimes candidates as well. With a transplant, the diseased liver is replaced with a whole liver or a portion of liver from a deceased donor or a portion of liver from a living donor. After the transplant, the patient is placed on medication to help prevent his body from attacking the new liver and he must have regular CT scans to ensure the new liver does not develop a tumor.
Clinical Trials
The physicians at UPMC have several clinical trials underway to treat liver cancer. These trials provide experimental treatments for various stages and types of liver cancer. In one clinical trial, an investigational drug is given in additional to traditional treatment to determine if patients have a better outcome with this combination treatment. In another trial, patients are injected with a virus to build their immune response and help the body fight the liver cancer.
