Exploring Liver Cancer Treatment Options
The approach to liver cancer treatment depends on the cancer stage, type, and overall patient health. Treatment options may include surgery, liver transplantation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Advances in treatment have improved outcomes, helping patients manage the disease more effectively.
Best and Advanced Liver Cancer Treatment in India
Liver cancer, like many other cancerous diseases, has several treatment methods, but the following are some of the substantial treatment procedures that can be relied upon:
Surgery will be of advantage in cases of tumors that can easily be removed from a small portion of the liver. It means eradicating the tumor and taking some of the adjacent tissue mass as well.
It can not be done in case of a big-sized tumor in your liver, the tumor is in other parts of your body or skin, or if you have other complications.
Hepatectomy:
Resection surgery called hepatectomy is usually done for patients with liver cancer. Partial Hepatectomy is the surgical removal of a portion of the liver. The amount of Liver to be removed depends on the nature of the disease to be treated. This form of surgery is expected to destroy cancerous tumor areas in your liver while keeping other regions of the liver healthy to fulfil normal activities.
Liver Transplant:
For example, in your case, if cancer is confined to the liver, is small, and has not affected the surrounding areas you may be allowed to undergo surgery to have a part of the liver removed.
And, if for any reason your liver is to be removed then, you would require a liver transplant in which your liver is replaced with a donated liver. It is also important to note that the recovery period in patients who undergo surgery for liver cancer may be slow
R.F. ablation will be suggested if you have difficulties with surgery or tumors less than an inch and a half in diameter. RFA uses image guidance to place a needle through the skin in a liver tumor.
High-frequency electric currents pass via an electrode into the needle, creating a small area of heat. Heat kills the Liver’s cancerous cells. The success rate of the complete elimination of small liver tumors is above 85 percent.
You will be recommended percutaneous ethanol injection if you fall within the following parameters.
- Well-defined (separate margins)
- The diameter is smaller than 3cm.
- Enclosed is a shell of scar tissue (fibrous encapsulation)
- Not next to the surface of the Liver.
In this technique, 100% alcohol is injected into cancer tumors of the Liver to kill cancer cells. This worked better against tumors made up of hepatocellular carcinoma or primary liver cancer.
You will generally be offered proton therapy if cancer has not spread to essential parts of your body. Proton Therapy does not affect healthy cells and growing tissues.
Proton beam therapy is a type of radiotherapy that uses protons rather than X-rays and can treat a variety of solid tumors, including liver cancer. Protons are positively charged particles that produce high energy and can kill cancer cells.
The doctors recommend TrueBeam STx treatment for you to decrease the amount of radiation on the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.
TrueBeam STx can modify the shape of the radiation beam according to the shape of your tumor. It is an advanced linear accelerator and radio surgical treatment system that allows doctors to target difficult-access tumors.
The CyberKnife system is a non-invasive surgery for both cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. This advanced surgery is recommended for you if you have inoperable tumors or surgical complexities. CyberKnife treatments generally take 1 to 5 sessions.
You could get treatment with targeted medications for liver cancer if you can’t have surgery because you’re very ill, or cancer can’t be removed through surgery.
Targeted cancer medications are aimed at preventing cancer from developing.
Cancer has spread to other areas of the body.
To know more please visit the targeted therapy page.
You will generally get chemotherapy to help reduce cancer or to control and improve symptoms. This is done if you are unable to have surgery because you are very sick or cancer cannot be removed through surgery.
In patients with small-sized tumors, who need liver transplantation, radiation may be applied. Radiotherapy entails administering intense radiation (or particles) that prove lethal to cells or tissues that have turned cancerous.
It will use certain liquids to boost your immune system to fight against Liver cancer but this kind of treatment will not be recommended for people with a history of hepatitis infection.
TACE is an abbreviation and it stands for Trans Arterial Chemo Embolization.
Embolization is a minimally invasive treatment with the use of particles to block the blood vessels.
The term ‘embolization’ is used in the context of blood vessel occlusion or blockage. For treating cancer, doctors utilize this technique to reduce the blood flow of a vessel that feeds a tumor. Because the treatment, cuts off the supply of blood to the cancerous cells, food and oxygen are unable to reach the cancerous cells and hence they die.
Liver cancer is treated through embolization which can be done in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
TACE works by shutting down the blood flow to liver cancer and then infusing it with a very high concentration of chemo. In some cases, it is a method with two steps. Chemo therapeutically eradicates the cancer cells while the latter starves cancer through the cutoff of the nutrition and oxygen supply.
SIRT ( Selective Internal Radio Therapy) can also be referred to as TARE.
TARE and SIRT are the same procedures though they are spelled differently. The radioactive source is sealed off, as the blood vessels have been blocked. A very high dosage of radiation is given to the cancerous tissues without targeting the healthy liver tissues.
Follow-up Care after Liver Cancer Treatment
Since cancer is a long-term condition, it is recommended that patients undergo follow-up after treatment is provided. For liver cancer, follow-ups are done along with cancer specialists, oncologists, liver specialists namely hepatologists, as well as your general practitioner.
In case you undergo a liver transplant, your transplant team would do a follow-up care as well. Your healthcare team will coordinate with you on choosing the right follow-up treatment.
Do not wait until the next follow-up appointment if any new symptoms are still persistent. Tell your healthcare team if you have:
- Increased pain
- Fluid accumulation in the stomach in the form of a condition known as ascites or fluid collected in the legs in a condition known as edema.
- Vomiting
- The eyes and the skin turn yellow.
- Confusion
There is the highest risk of, liver cancer recurring within the initial two years, therefore, you will require regular follow-ups at this time.
Which Country is Best for Liver Cancer Treatment?
Liver cancer survivors face unpleasant and challenging conditions that make their lives stressful. As we all continue to look for proper treatment options to manage this health condition, you must choose a country that provides affordable treatment.
Here are a few tips that can help you select the best country for liver cancer treatment
Let’s imagine a country that has acute health facilities and new techniques for treating diseases.
Look at the completion rate of liver cancer treatment that was done in that country
Make sure to compare the cost of the treatment as well before deciding to stay in that particular country.
Also, while you check the above criteria for selecting a country for treatment of your liver cancer, you must consider logistic factors like
Cheap airfares from the cities
They also enjoy the relative ease of getting around locally
Safety of the chosen country based on crime levels, natural disasters, political stability, and terrorism threats.
The world looks at the Western countries for treatment but the price of the treatment in those countries costs much more than it is offered in India.
The price of treatment in India is far lower than in developed countries.
The Indian healthcare sector has grown into one of the most efficient service sectors that offer the best medical treatment with high success and survival rates coupled with reasonable costs.
In one way or another, India’s highly professional cancer care center has the availability of a team of well-trained and board-certified liver cancer doctors and surgeons along with the proper aftercare and treatment facility for foreign nationals to come and get their liver cancer treatment done in India.
How to Choose the Best Liver Cancer Hospital in India?
Certain requirements must be met when one is selecting a hospital for liver cancer treatment.
It should allow you the benefit of seeing specialists, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and other well-trained nurses all working in harmony in order to offer you the best solution.
Further, it will be wise to choose a hospital with a specific department for cancer and post-cancer care staff that makes the success and survival rate high.
How to Choose the Best Oncologist for your Liver Cancer Treatment in India?
Here are a few tips to help you select the best liver cancer specialists for you:
Ensure that the doctor who is attending you is tumor board-certified.
Make sure your doctor is experienced and knowledgeable enough about diagnosed liver cancer.
Ask whether your doctors can assemble a multidisciplinary team of specialists dedicated to cancer with specialities in surgery, medicine, and radiation. Liver cancer survivors are advised not to choose the first course of action for managing the ailment and they should consult a doctor for a second opinion if need be.
Now, Let’s find out how much Liver Cancer treatment costs in India.
Cost of Liver Cancer Treatment in India
India offers affordable cancer treatment compared to Western countries. The approximate costs are:
🔹 Liver Resection Surgery – ₹3,50,000 to ₹5,00,000 ($4,600–$6,500)
🔹 Liver Transplant – ₹28,00,000 to ₹32,00,000 ($38,000–$42,000)
🔹 Targeted Therapy – ₹1,50,000 to ₹2,50,000 ($2,000–$3,500) per cycle
🔹 TACE/SIRT – ₹2,00,000 to ₹4,00,000 ($2,500–$5,000) per session
The final cost depends on the hospital, doctor’s expertise, and patient condition.
For Hepatectomy, the hospital stay is around six days and ten days outside the hospital. For liver transplants, it’s 22 days in the hospital and 40 days outside the hospital. The exact cost varies from patient to patient and the type of surgical procedures and medications involved.
Tumor Board Approach in Liver Cancer Treatment
A typical liver cancer treatment consists of surgery, radiation healing, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy treatment when required, and it’s rare for cancer treatment to involve only a single modality. Unlike other diseases, it is always a team approach in cancer management and there can be more than one physician involved in different phases of the disease path.
Therefore an ever-growing awareness among medical professionals is that a combined cancer treatment approach enhances medical management of cancer. The above approach is made possible through the tumor board.
The Tumor Board has the following features
- Highly Interactive Specialists communicating about the latest interventions in cancer care
- Tailored Treatment plan according to the type, stage, and condition of the patient
- Exchange of Patient-Specific Treatment Information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q1. What are the main options for liver cancer treatment?
A. The liver cancer treatment options include surgery, liver transplantation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy, depending on the stage and type of cancer.
Q2. Can liver cancer be completely cured?
A. Early-stage liver cancer may be curable with surgery or a liver transplant. For advanced cases, treatments focus on slowing progression and managing symptoms.
Q3. Is targeted therapy effective for liver cancer?
A. Yes, targeted therapy can help slow tumor growth in liver cancer by attacking specific cancer cells, making it a valuable option for advanced or inoperable cases.
Next in Liver Cancer
Author Bio:
Dr. Yashashree Joshi – MBBS, MD (Philippines)
Dr. Yashashree Joshi, MD, is a globally-trained oncologist with a robust academic background and extensive experience in pioneering cancer treatments. Dedicated to patient-centered care, she continually integrates the latest advancements in oncology to provide her patients with innovative and personalized treatment plans.
Content Medically Reviewed By MedicoExperts Editorial & Clinically Review Board
