International Accreditation System for Interventional Oncology Services
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Liver cancer (HCC)

Liver cancer (HCC)

Liver cancer is a condition where abnormal cells grow in your liver, a vital organ that helps digest food, stores energy, and filters toxins from your blood. The most common type is called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and a less common type is cholangiocarcinoma, which affects the bile ducts. Sometimes, cancers from other parts of your body can spread (metastasize) to the liver.

At first, liver cancer may not cause any clear symptoms. But as it progresses, you might start to notice some changes in your body. You could feel pain or discomfort in your abdomen. Your belly may swell, and you might lose weight without trying. You may also feel more tired than usual, or notice that your skin and the whites of your eyes turn yellow – a condition called jaundice. Other common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, pain near your right shoulder or back, easy bruising, pale stool, dark urine, and sometimes a fever.

Liver cancer usually develops after long-term damage to the liver, which can lead to changes in liver cells. Several factors may increase the risk of liver cancer: long-term viral infections (hepatitis B or hepatitis C ), heavy alcohol use, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), exposure to toxins and inherited conditions.

Diagnosing liver cancer involves several important steps. First, the doctor will ask about your medical history and any symptoms you may have. Blood tests are used to check how well your liver is working, look for infections like hepatitis B or C, and measure tumour markers such as AFP (alpha-fetoprotein), which can help detect liver cancer. To get a better picture of the liver, your doctor will use imaging tests like ultrasound, CT scans, or MRI scans. These tests take detailed images that can help find tumours or other problems. In some cases, a biopsy may be needed. This involves taking a small sample of liver tissue and examining it under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

The treatment for liver cancer depends on factors like the size and location of the tumor, your overall health, and whether the cancer has spread. You might need one or more of these treatments:

–Surgery: this could mean either removing part of the liver (partial hepatectomy) or replacing the liver with a healthy one from a donor (liver transplant). Not everyone will be able to have surgery.

–Ablation: A minimally invasive procedure where a thin needle is inserted through the skin to destroy the tumor using heat or freezing. This works best for small tumors and may cure the cancer.

–Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) or Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE): minimally invasive procedures that deliver chemotherapy or tiny radioactive beads directly into the tumor’s blood supply to shrink it. These treatments are used for larger or multiple tumors, and can also be used as a bridge to surgery or combined with systemic therapy.

–Radiation Therapy: External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT): a treatment that uses radiation beams from outside the body to destroy the tumor.

–Systemic Therapies: targeted therapy, immunotherapy (helping the immune system fight cancer) and chemotherapy. If the cancer has spread, these treatments help control the disease throughout the body.

After the procedure, you will be monitored in the recovery area. If you experience any pain or nausea, medications will be given to help you feel more comfortable.

Many patients go through post-embolization syndrome, which can cause mild pain, nausea, or fever. These symptoms usually don’t last long and can be easily managed with medication.

Usually, patients can go home within 24-48 hours after the procedure.

Follow-up:

  • A few weeks after treatment, your doctor will do blood tests to check how your liver and kidneys are working.
  • 1 to 3 months later, a CT or MRI scan will show how well the treatment worked.
  • Your doctor will go over the results with you and talk about the next steps based on your progress. .

Contact your doctor immediately if you have:

  • Severe pain or cold, pale legs
  • Bleeding from the groin/wrist or significant bruising
  • Shortness of breath or frequent diarrhea
  • A fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher
  • A red, hot, or draining wound