Liver cancer is considered one of the most successful silent killer diseases. More than 250,000 people die of Liver cancer every year worldwide. Liver cancer is difficult to control and hard to detect in its early stages, it can be cured only when found at early stage.
Generally liver cancer is detected at its advanced stage (when it has started spreading), and by the time it’s too late. Most patients die within a year after diagnosis. There are two main kinds of liver cancer, Hepatoma (also called Hepatocellular Carcinoma or Malignant Carcinoma) and Cholangio carcinoma.
Hepatoma is a cancer of hepatocytes (hepatocyte is a most important functioning liver cells). Hepatoma grows in liver as a tumor and it is a most primary type of liver cancer. If a patient has a history of Hepatitis B virus then they have to be more careful as they are at high risk to develop hepatoma.
Cholangio carcinoma is a cancer of bile-duct cells. It originates in bile duct and most of the times it is caused by infestation with a liver fluke Clonorchis (which is a parasite). Generally it is very hard to detect cancer when it starts growing in duct sheets and liver.
TreatmentsContent provided by MayoClinic.com
Treatments for primary liver cancer depend on the extent (stage) of the disease as well as your age, overall health, feelings and personal preferences. Discuss all of your options carefully with your treatment team.
The goal of any treatment is to eliminate the cancer completely. When that isn't possible, the focus may be on preventing the tumor from growing or spreading. In some cases palliative care only is appropriate. Palliative care refers to treatment aimed not at removing or slowing the disease but at helping relieve symptoms and making you as comfortable as possible.
Treatments for primary liver cancer in adults
- Surgery. The best treatment for localized cancer is usually an operation known as surgical resection. In some cases, the area of the liver where the cancer is found can be completely removed. You aren't a candidate for surgical removal of liver tumors if you have cirrhosis or only a small amount of healthy liver tissue. Even when resections are successful, there is a chance the cancer can recur elsewhere in the liver or in other areas within a few years.
- Alcohol injection. In this procedure, pure alcohol is injected directly into tumors, either through the skin or during an operation. Alcohol dries out the cells of the tumor and eventually the cells die. Each treatment consists of one injection, although you may need a series of injections for the best results. Alcohol injection has been shown to improve survival in people with small hepatocellular tumors. It may also be used to help reduce symptoms in cases of metastatic liver cancer. The most common side effect is leaking of alcohol onto the liver or into the abdominal cavity.
- Radio frequency ablation. In this procedure, electric current in the radio frequency range is used to destroy malignant cells. Using an ultrasound or CT scan as a guide, your surgeon inserts several thin needles into small incisions in your abdomen. When the needles reach the tumor, they're heated with an electric current, destroying the malignant cells. Radio frequency ablation is an option for people with small, unresectable hepatocellular tumors and for some types of metastatic liver cancers. Although the procedure has a somewhat higher risk of serious complications than alcohol injection does, it appears to provide better outcomes.
- Chemoembolization. Chemoembolization is a type of chemotherapy treatment that supplies strong anti-cancer drugs directly to the liver. Chemoembolization isn't curative, but it can shrink tumors in a certain percentage of people, which may provide symptom relief and improve survival. During the procedure, the hepatic artery - the artery from which liver cancers derive their blood supply - is blocked, and chemotherapy drugs are injected between the blockage and the liver. The idea is that by targeting the tumor directly, doctors can use potent doses of drugs without creating as many side effects as occur with systemic chemotherapy. But the fact is that chemoembolization causes many of the same side effects as other forms of chemotherapy, including abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Chemoembolization is less likely to cause some side effects such as lowered blood cell counts or hair loss.
- Cryoablation (cryosurgery or cryotherapy). This treatment uses extreme cold to destroy cancer cells. Cryoablation may be an option for people with inoperable primary and metastatic liver cancers. It may also be used in addition to surgery, chemotherapy or other standard treatments. During the procedure, your doctor places an instrument (cryoprobe) containing liquid nitrogen directly onto liver tumors. Ultrasound images are used to guide the cryoprobe and monitor the freezing of the cells. Side effects include damage to the bile ducts and major blood vessels, leading to bleeding or infection.
- Radiation therapy. This treatment uses high-powered energy beams to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside your body or from radiation-containing materials inserted into your liver. Radiation may be used on its own to treat localized unresectable cancer. Or you may have radiation therapy following surgical removal of a tumor to help destroy any remaining malignant cells. Radiation side effects may include fatigue, nausea and vomiting.
- Chemotherapy. This treatment uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be systemic - meaning it travels throughout your body in your bloodstream - or regional. Systemic chemotherapy is generally not effective in treating liver cancer, but may be a treatment option in certain cases.
- Liver transplantation. In this surgical procedure, a diseased liver is removed and replaced with a healthy, donated organ. Liver transplantation may be an option for some people with small, early-stage liver tumors and for certain people with bile duct tumors. In other cases, especially when tumors are larger or blood vessels are involved, a transplant may not improve long-term outlook because the cancer may recur outside the new liver.
- Sorafenib (Nexavar). Sorafenib was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2007 for use in advanced inoperable liver cancer. Sorafenib is a targeted therapy designed to interfere with a tumor's ability to generate new blood vessels. Sorafenib has been shown to slow or stop advanced liver cancer from progressing for a few months longer than with no treatment. More studies are needed to understand how targeted therapies may be used to control advanced liver cancer.
Treatments for primary liver cancer in children
Liver cancer in young people is rare. As a result, most children with the disease are treated at centers that specialize in childhood cancers. In general, the treatments available for children are the same as for adults, and the best approach depends on the stage and type of cancer as well as the child's age and overall health.
Clinical trials
Because standard treatments often aren't effective in treating liver cancer, you may want to consider participating in a clinical trial - a research study that tries to improve current treatments or find new treatments. This can give you access to experimental therapies that might not otherwise be available. There are no guarantees with clinical trials, however, and you should fully understand the potential risks as well as possible benefits before taking this step.
CAM (Complementary Alternative Medicine)
- Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy to help lessen a patients discomfort following surgery.
- Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example of an alternative therapy is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional doctor.
To start your search for these methods click Here!
Spiritual Affirmations
In a search for alternative treatments it quickly becomes obvious that there is a wide range of opinions. The one that will work best for you is the one you believe in. Your thoughts can release an enormous amount of energy to solve your problems.
Health Affirmations: A spiritual healing is different from a physical healing!! Your goal is integration and the balance of both to create allover well being and health. Talk to your cells, your blood, your organs, your bones, etc, they are live entities!!!!! You are the commander of YOUR body! Take charge and command your cells to be healthy. You do not have to accept and enable what's happening to them. You may command the cells in your body that are here to serve your Soul!
Cancel, Cancel, Cancel, Next, Positive!: Remember thoughts have ripple effects. To stop every negative thought and action in your environment whether you think it, say it, or are in the field of someone else who says or does something negative.
POSITIVE PEOPLE ONLY!!! YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT! You can erode all of the positive energy that you have generated by being in negative circumstances. Do not repeat negative thoughts and actions or be in the presence of negative energies (ie “downer” individuals, no matter where, caregivers, friends, stores, phone calls, emails etc).
To further assist you in this subject click Here! Add positive thoughts to your treatment list.
