Liver Cancer

Liver Cancer

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Treatment

Surgery

Surgery to remove the cancer is the most common treatment for liver cancer.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of X-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation comes from a machine outside the body, or external radiation therapy. Radiation can be used alone or in addition to surgery and chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy for liver cancer is usually put into the body by inserting a needle into a vein or artery. This type of chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside the liver. In another type of chemotherapy called regional chemotherapy, a small pump containing drugs is placed in the body. The pump puts drugs directly into the blood vessels, called arteries, that go to the tumor.

Liver Transplants

For some patients, a liver transplant is a treatment option. Generally, candidates for a transplant must meet specific criteria, including criteria related to the number and size of the liver tumors.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated April 4, 2008