Treatment of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma

The treatment of metastatic liver cancer aims to slow down the disease and maintain as good a quality of life as possible and, in some cases, prolong life expectancy.   

If the cancer recurs after liver surgery, we can continue to treat it with local therapies on a case-by-case basis. As a rule, the prerequisite is that the cancer has not spread beyond the liver. 

Drug therapy in the treatment of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma 

If local treatments or surgical treatment are not possible or the cancer has already spread when diagnosed, we will consider the possibility of drug treatment. 

We carry out drug treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma intravenously or as tablets. Sometimes we may combine different drugs in the treatment. In some patients, the drugs can cause adverse effects that prevent or limit the administering of drug therapy. We can also use medication to alleviate the symptoms caused by liver cancer, such as nausea and possible pain.

Of pharmacotherapies, chemotherapy is not effective in the treatment of metastatic or recurrent liver cancer. 

Radiation therapy in the treatment of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma 

If the spread of the tumor causes pain, we can use radiation therapy as a form of treatment. Radiation therapy may also be appropriate for the treatment of localized liver tumors if other treatment options are not possible. The use of radiation therapy is limited by the fact that healthy liver tissue reacts sensitively to radiation therapy.