Metastatic Liver Cancer Treatment

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world. Millions of new cases of liver cancer are reported every year and about equal number of people die of this cancer. Liver cancer is more prevalent in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, than in western countries. Oftentimes, the term liver cancer is used to refer to a secondary type of liver cancer called metastatic liver cancer. It finds its origin in some other organ which is primarily affected by cancer. The treatment is dependent upon the primary site of the cancer.

Metastatic Liver Cancer

Metastasis is a process in which the cancer spreads to other organs. The organ in which cancer originated first is called primary site, whereas the organ to which it spreads is called secondary site. Metastatic liver cancer is said to have occurred when the cancer has reached the liver from some other organ, usually, breast, lungs, pancreas, colon, etc. Since, liver has two blood supply systems, the chances of liver getting metastasized are very high. Sometimes, cancer cells also find their way to the liver through hormones. The cancerous cells always exhibit the characteristics of the organ from where they originated. Hence, irrespective of where the metastatic cancer was diagnosed, the cancer treatments are always deployed according to the primary site. For instance, the treatment for metastatic liver cancer which originated in breast is as per the behavior of breast cancer and not liver cancer. Thus, the treatments for metastatic and primary liver cancer differ significantly.

Treatment

Metastatic cancer can be treated in a number of ways. As mentioned above the treatment options are determined by the primary site. Besides, treatments are also dependent upon the stage and spread of the cancer. In certain cases, the primary site cannot be detected, hence the treatment options are devised according to the metastasized organ.

Surgery
Liver resection surgery is often recommended for any cancer involving the liver. Cancer tumors are surgically removed along with the neighboring tissues to prevent the recurrence of cancer. This is an ideal treatment and offers excellent prognosis, if the cancer cells confine themselves to liver only. Oftentimes, multiple tumors can be removed in a single surgery session. In such cases, surgery can completely cure metastatic liver cancer. Chemotherapy is sometimes used to reduce the size of tumors prior to surgery. It can also be used after surgery to inhibit the regrowth of cancer cells.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses certain drugs to kill or control the growth of cancer cells in the body. It is a good option when the cancer has spread to multiple sites, since it has an effect upon the whole body. Chemotherapy is slow acting and cannot completely destroy the cancer cells. Nonetheless, it can be used to keep the growth of cancer cells in check. It is often implemented in cycles with a rest period of 2 - 3 weeks between every cycle, to allow the body to recuperate from the side effects of drugs.

Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
This treatment includes the use of certain drugs which identify the proteins (receptor) on the surface of the cancer cells in the liver. The drug then locks with the receptor cells to annihilate the cancer cells. The mode of destruction of cancer cells depend upon the type of drug used. Some drugs cut the blood supply to the cancer cells while others may invoke body's immune system to attack the cancer cells.

Hormonal Treatments
Hormonal therapies are recommended in cases of metastatic liver cancer originating from breast cancer. Since, hormones can naturally control the growth of cells in the human body, they can be used to prevent the abnormal growth of cancer cells.

Newer Treatments
Certain new treatments are introduced that can control metastatic liver cancer if not cure it. These include radiotherapy, radio frequency ablation, cryosurgery, laser ablation, alcohol treatment. These treatments are still not practiced world wide as they are being improvised.

If none of the cancer treatments work, palliative treatments are adopted. They include reducing the symptoms and pain associated with the cancer and improving the quality of life of the patient.