Treatment

Main treatments for liver cancer

Treatment for liver cancer depends on:

• if the cancer started in the liver (primary) or spread from somewhere else (secondary), but treatments for primary and secondary liver cancer are similar
• the size and type of liver cancer you have
• where it is
• if it has spread
• your general health

Treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, using heat to destroy the cancer (thermal ablation), targeted medicines, radiotherapy, and targeted medicines and immunotherapy.

The specialist care team looking after you will:

• explain the treatments, benefits and side effects
• work with you to create a treatment plan that is best for you
• help you manage any side effects, including changes to your diet to help you digest your food

You'll have regular check-ups during and after any treatments. You may also have tests and scans.

If you have any symptoms or side effects that you are worried about, talk to your specialists. You do not need to wait for your next check-up.

Surgery

If liver cancer is found early, is small and it has not spread, you may be able to have surgery to remove it.

Surgery will remove part or all of your liver. If it's all removed you will need a liver transplant to replace your liver with a donated one.

Recovery from surgery to treat liver cancer can take a long time. The specialist team looking after you will discuss all the benefits and side effects.

Find out more

• Surgery for liver cancer (Macmillan Cancer Support)

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses medicines to kill cancer cells.

For liver cancer, the chemotherapy medicine is usually given into the blood vessels of the cancer. It aims to stop the cancer growing. This is called chemoembolisation.

You'll usually have chemoembolisation to help make the cancer smaller, or to control and improve the symptoms.

This is done if you are not able to have surgery because you are very unwell, or the cancer cannot be removed by surgery.

Find out more

• Embolisation treatment for liver cancer (Cancer Research UK)

Heat treatment (thermal ablation)

Thermal ablation uses an electric current or microwaves to destroy the cancer.

You may have thermal ablation to treat liver cancer if you're not able to have surgery because you are very unwell, or the cancer cannot be removed by surgery.

Find out more

• Heat treatment for liver cancer (thermal ablation) (Cancer Research UK)

Targeted medicines and immunotherapy

Targeted medicines kill cancer cells or stop them growing as quickly.

Immunotherapy is where medicines are used to help your immune system kill cancer.

You may have treatment with targeted medicines or immunotherapy for liver cancer if:

• you cannot have surgery because you are very unwell, or the cancer cannot be removed by surgery
• the cancer has spread to another part of the body

Find out more

• Targeted medicines and immunotherapy for liver cancer (Cancer Research UK)

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is where radiation is used to kill cancer cells.

There are 2 types of radiotherapy used for liver cancer:

• selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) - where radioactive beads are injected into your liver's blood supply to stop the cancer growing
• stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) - where a machine is used to give the tumour a high dose of radiation to kill the cancer cells

You may have SIRT if you're an adult and your liver has not been too badly damaged or the cancer cannot be removed by surgery.

You may have SABR if the cancers are small and they started in your liver or have spread to your liver.

Find out more

• Radiotherapy for liver cancer (Cancer Research UK)

What happens if you've been told your cancer cannot be cured

If you have advanced liver cancer it might be very hard to treat. It may not be possible to cure the cancer.

In this situation, the aim of your treatment will be to limit the cancer and its symptoms, and help you live longer.

Finding out the cancer cannot be cured can be very hard news to take in.

You will be referred to a special team of doctors and nurses called the palliative care team or symptom control team.

They will work with you to help manage your symptoms and make you feel more comfortable.

The clinical nurse specialist or palliative care team can also help you and your loved ones get any support you need.

Find out more

• Advanced cancer (Macmillan Cancer Support)
• End of life care (Macmillan Cancer Support)

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