Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third most common and distressing. Sadly, the numbers are only increasing. Cirrhosis of the liver due to any cause is the most important predisposing factor for liver cancer.
Cirrhosis of the liver can occur due to chronic infection by Hepatitis B and C. It can also be caused by chronic alcohol abuse or long-standing diabetes.
People who have any of the above-listed diseases have a higher chance of developing liver cancer. As per the patient’s condition, the doctors will chart out a suitable treatment plan. Here are some of the treatment options that are available for liver cancer:
• Surgery
The doctors aim at the removal of the tumor and nearby tissue through surgery. There are two types of surgery that are performed depending on the patient’s condition:
In this type of surgery, the affected part of the liver is removed while the healthy one is left behind. Due to the regenerative capacity of the liver, the remaining part of it grows back in size after surgery.
In this type of surgery, the damaged liver of the patient is replaced with a healthy liver from a donor. This is done when the cancer cells have not spread to other parts of the body, and the size of the tumor is not more than 5 cm.
• Percutaneous Ethanol Injection
In this treatment, alcohol is injected into the cancerous growth directly to destroy the malignant cells. This simple and safe procedure is recommended when the tumor is smaller than 3 cm. The side effects of percutaneous ethanol injection are usually fever and pain.
• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
In this type of therapy, a special needle is inserted through the skin into the tumor and heat is generated to kill the tumor cells. This type of therapy is best suited for small tumors (<3cm).
• Radiation Therapy
These are high energy x-rays or energy particles responsible for killing the cancer cells. The radiations used may range from x-rays to gamma rays or charged particles.
• Chemoembolization and Radioembolization
As the name suggests, this is a type of chemotherapy in which drugs are injected via a catheter into a hepatic artery. During this procedure, the blood supply to the tumor is blocked so that the chemo drugs can stay longer and offer effective results.
The other one, radioembolization is similar to chemoembolization. The only difference is that in radioembolization, doctors place radioactive particles in the artery that supplies blood to the tumor. The substance delivers radiation directly into the tumor and destroys the cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy
A relatively new cancer treatment, Immunotherapy is performed to boost the body’s natural defences to attack the cancer cells. Some of the types of immunotherapy are monoclonal antibodies, oncolytic virus therapy, non-specific immune therapies, T-cell therapy and cancer vaccines.
• Targeted Molecular Therapy
As the name suggests, targeted molecular therapy includes drug treatment that binds to specific molecules on cancer cells, thereby slowing or completely blocking the cancer cells.
Thanks to the advancements in the medical field, these treatments are being used to give patients a new ray of hope. Hospitals like Max Healthcare have some of the best oncologists and the latest equipment to offer best cancer treatment in India.