Treatments for Liver Cancer
The liver is the most crucial organ in the body. Liver cancer is a kind of cancer that starts in the liver. Cancer arises when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. Liver cancer is the most common type of cancer in several countries. More than 800,000 people are diagnosed with it each year worldwide. It is also the world’s leading cause of cancer mortality, with over 700,000 deaths yearly. So? What is Liver Cancer Treatment? How much does it cost? Well, you will get to know about many treatments in this article. The first thing to know is that the cost of the treatments is not too high. In India, Liver Cancer Treatments cost around INR 1,50,000 to INR 4,00,000.
Detecting and diagnosing liver cancer
The various treatments and techniques that identify liver cancer:
- Blood testing is available. You can detect abnormalities in liver function can by blood testing.
- Medical imaging tests. Your doctor may prescribe an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI.
- You can detect it by testing a liver tissue sample. To get conclusive results, doctors may need to remove a part of the liver tissue for laboratory testing.
The doctor will insert a thin needle through your skin and into your liver to get a liver sample. Then, doctors use a microscope to look for cancer cells in the tissue. A liver biopsy can cause bleeding, bruising, and infection, among other things.
Identifying the extent of cancer in the liver
Once doctors have diagnosed your liver cancer, they will try to determine the extent (stage) of the disease. They will also use tests to determine its size and location. CT scans, MRI scans, and bone scans are employed to stage liver cancer. You can do liver cancer staging in a variety of methods.
Liver Cancer Treatment
There have been numerous advancements in liver cancer treatment in recent years. While surgery to remove liver cancer can be a beneficial kind of treatment for certain people, it is not appropriate for everyone. Doctors have additional alternatives to explore for their patients as researchers continue to discover new and novel therapies.
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy has experienced significant research developments in the last decade. Patients are surviving longer after undergoing only chemotherapy, thanks to improved drugs. Chemotherapy can be a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with other therapies. Chemotherapy can decrease tumors so that the doctors can surgically remove them.
- Liver Cancer Intra-Arterial Therapies
The artery that nourishes the liver is often the source of blood for liver cancers. These tumors eat away at your body’s blood supply like parasites. Chemoembolization beads send cancer-killing medicine to cancer through the artery in intra-arterial therapy. These beads also assist in stopping the tumor from developing by blocking the blood supply. Chemoembolization successfully treats and shrinks tumors when used alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy. Patients who did not qualify for transplantation before treatment with chemoembolization were rare. And chemotherapy can make them eligible once the tumor shrinks.
- Ablation Techniques for Liver Tumors
Instead of removing a liver tumor, ablation treatments destroy it. Instead, doctors use a probe to eliminate malignancies with hot radiation. This minimally invasive procedure works best on tumors less than 3 cm in diameter.
- Liver Transplantation
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have found that liver transplantation is the most successful liver cancer treatment. In addition, liver transplantation can lower the chance of recurrence after therapy if a patient develops liver disease, such as cirrhosis.
What is the best & latest treatment for Liver Cancer?
Before, liver transplantation was the best liver cancer treatment. But with the advancement in technology, new methods are discovered. So, for the first time in over 13 years, a novel medication for patients with liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is available. It is better than standard therapy. You can use Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and Bevacizumab (Avastin) as first-line treatments for persons with liver cancer that has spread or is incurable with surgery. They have the approval of the FDA. The IMbrave150 trial resulted in the authorization. It proved that Atezolizumab or bevacizumab-treated patients survived much longer than sorafenib-treated patients. They were also able to live for long periods without their cancer worsening.
Factors that influence Liver Cancer Treatment
This cancer is frequently curable. However, it might be challenging to treat. The following factors may influence liver cancer treatment:
- Whether cancer began in the liver (primary) or spread from somewhere else (secondary), the treatments for both are similar.
- the extent and nature of your liver cancer
- the location
- if it has become widespread
- your overall health
- The kind of treatment: Surgery, chemotherapy, utilizing heat to destroy the tumor (thermal ablation), targeted drugs, and radiotherapy
- The specialist care team that will be looking after you will:
- The extent of discussions about the treatments, their advantages, and disadvantages
- The extent of collaboration with you to develop the best treatment plan for you
- The assistance you got in managing any side effects, including dietary adjustments to aid digestion
Conclusion
The doctors will examine you frequently both during and after any treatments. They may also subject you to tests and scans. Consult your specialists if you are concerned about any symptoms or adverse effects. You are not required to wait until your next check-up.