Liver Cancer Treatment in India: Best Options & Success Rates

Liver cancer can be cured if diagnosed at an early stage. However, advanced-stage liver cancer cannot be cured completely, instead, the progression can be stopped to some extent.  In case of remission or cure of early-stage liver cancer, it is important to visit the doctor regularly and take medication to prevent recurrence.

Stage 4 liver cancer particularly, Stage 4B spreads to the lungs and bones and it is not possible to treat cancer in multiple organs. This stage aims to give the patient relief from the symptoms. Such type of care is known as palliative care and it manages the feeling of pain, continuous nausea, respiration difficulties, etc.

The 5-year survival rate is higher in patients who have localized liver cancer, that is the cancer has not spread anywhere. It is approximately 31%. The percentage survival rate of liver cancer that has spread to other segments of the liver, close by organs or lymph nodes differs in 5-year survival rate at 11 percent. When liver cancer has already metastasized or spread to other organs and tissues, the survival rate is just about 3% for 5 years.

Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy are the two options.

In addition, there are genetic alterations that make the targeted treatment more effective. Advanced liver cancer has many targeted therapies available in today’s world that are marketed by various pharmaceutical companies.

On the other hand, immunotherapy helps the immune cells that are capable of killing the tumors to remain in their optimal functioning without being hindered by the cancer cells.

There are different types of liver cancer but one can develop when the liver is in a condition called cirrhosis. The Hepatitis C virus is more at risk of causing liver cancer through cirrhosis, compared to the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis can also be attributed to the effects of heavy alcohol consumption and liver cancer emerges in many cases.

Hepatocellular carcinoma often develops slowly and silently, unable to be detected in the early stages. However, if cancer has grown in the completely damaged liver, it may be detected in the course of diagnosis through a CT scan. 

There is a type of liver cancer called angiosarcoma which is fast-growing, but often it can be surgically removed.

It’s good to be cancer-free after treatment but the disease can be reoccurring.

It is worth knowing that for many liver cancer patients, the disease may be recurrent, or it may continue showing signs even after treatment is administered. It is, however, possible for such people to undergo normal treatments which include chemotherapy, and radiation therapy besides other procedures that may help to regularly suppress cancer.

Once, your treatment is over, do not think that your cancer is completely cured. It is reasonable, therefore, to go for all your follow-up appointments.

Lastly, certain side effects of the treatment might endure for a long time or may appear sometime after the completion of your treatment.

The main factors in the development of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are chronic hepatitis B and C viral infections. Like the other nonviral liver diseases, both acute and chronic HBV and HCV may lead to hepatic disease and even enhance fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver.

NAFLD is present in one in four people globally, and according to trends, it might reach 30% of the population within the next few years. This disease can also advance to the next higher stage of Non-Alcoholic Steato Hepatitis (NASH) which carries the risk of cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC).

People with siblings and parents having hepatocellular carcinoma are more prone to develop the disease. Along with this genetic factor, viral hepatitis can also play a role.

DDLT is mainly performed on brain-dead patients who are registered organ donors. Sometimes,  their family members also decide to donate the organ. The liver can remain vital outside the body only for 12 hours. Therefore, immediately after the brain death of the donor, it is extracted and transplanted to the patient.

Cryoablation can be described as a surgical modality that makes use of cold to treat cancer.

In cryoablation, a thin instrument known as a cryoprobe, similar to a wand-like structure, is inserted into the body through the layers of skin. It means that the cryoprobe is inserted into the actual cancerous area of the body as a means of treatment. To all sides of the cryoprobe, there is a gas that is pumped into the area to freeze the tissue. Then the tissue is allowed to thaw.  You note that the process of freezing and thawing is done consecutively several times.

It requires fewer invasions as compared to surgery and it is often used in cases where surgery for cancer cannot be used.

Irreversible electroporation is a technique of ablation that introduces short-range electrical pulses of DC voltage to create small pores in cells’ membranes, which interfere with homeostasis ( balance in intracellular and extracellular fluids) and cause cancer cell death.

If you have white-coloured stool, jaundice, swelling in the abdomen, and weight loss, it is time to see a liver cancer specialist.

The liver cancer treatment in India includes surgery, liver transplantation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy, depending on the stage of cancer.

Yes, advanced liver cancer treatment in India at comparatively lower costs than many other countries, making it a preferred destination for medical treatment.