What you need to know about liver cancer
Primary liver cancer is originated in the liver. (As opposed to liver metastases, or secondary liver cancers, which have spread to the liver from other organs.) The number of liver cancers diagnosed in the US and throughout the world is increasing at an alarming rate. According to latest studies liver cancer is responsible for more than 12,000 deaths a year in the United States and is being diagnosed more frequently. It is more common in men than women and in African Americans than whites. Liver cancer is a lethal cancer with untreated patients rarely surviving more than one year.
Treatment
Primary tumors of the liver occur in the majority of cases in patients with underlying liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis. Depending on the severity of the underlying liver disease treatment options for patients with liver cancer may vary and require a team of physicians, who are experienced in treating patients with this specific disease. Treatment options for patients with liver cancer include surgical therapies, radiofrequency ablation, transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE), radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The size and location of the tumor, the health of the remaining liver, the presence of potential metastases and the overall health of the patient determines, which treatment options is the best for every individual patient. We routinely discuss patients' treatment options in an interdisciplinary team with surgeons, interventional radiologist and medical oncologist to find the customized therapy for every patient.
Research Focus
We have several clinical studies currently open, and new studies are constantly being developed and launched. We are developing new targeted therapies and new combinations of existing therapies that can cripple tumor cells and/or important bystander cells in the tumor environment. We aim to inflict effective damage to cancer cells without causing a wide range of toxicities to the patient's healthy cells.
Helpful links
Here you can find some helpful links to understand more about liver cancer and how liver cancer is being treated:
What you need to know about liver cancer
PubMed Health: Hepatocellular carcinoma
Fact sheets:
Angiogenesis Inhibitors Therapy
Biological Therapies for Cancer: Questions and Answers
Resource information
For the latest information about liver cancer, please visit the NCI Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/liver. We can send you NCI booklets and fact sheets on liver cancer. Call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or instant message us through the LiveHelp service at http://www.cancer.gov/help.
