Surgery for Liver Cancer

Liver cancer surgery is one of the most recommended techniques and safest methods of liver cancer treatment. Various options are available to carry surgical methods for cancer of liver. Various aspects like liver cancer stage, origin and size of tumors, and overall health of victim play a vital role in deciding on feasibility of surgery for liver cancer to cure the disorder. Some surgeries are useful to eliminate tumors completely while some others play the role of controlling tumor growth and avoiding possibilities of liver cancer recurrence.

What is Liver Cancer Surgery?

Surgery for liver cancer is a process of identifying and eliminating tumors regardless of whether they are cancerous or non-cancerous. It is also helpful to avoid unnecessary damage to surrounding tissues and cells. Thus, surgery is considered as the safest method of cure and is known for minimum number of side-effects to be caused to patient in post-treatment phases.

Tumors may be of different size and nature. Some tumors are primary in form while some are secondary. Tumors of primary form are the ones that originate in areas of liver and then reach other areas of body. Such tumors are easy to identify in early liver cancer stages as they show quite clear and specific liver cancer symptoms. Tracing them becomes difficult if the infection reaches to other areas of victim's body and tumors reach advanced phases. Secondary tumors are formed due to origin of cancerous growth in some other areas of body. Such tumors can reach liver through lymph nodes or other modes once they gain potential to metastasize.

Surgery for liver cancer is more effective to treat tumors formed in primary pattern as they are present only in a particular area and can be eliminated instantly. In most of the cases, surgery is recommended only in initial stages. Stern liver cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy are executed if tumors reach advanced phases.

Surgery for liver cancer can be carried as an independent cure process or in coordination with other forms of treatment. In some cases, surgery can be combined with radiation therapy to get rid of cancerous polyps if their removal or control is feasible. Chances of liver cancer recurrence also need to be given a serious thought before executing surgical methods.

Certain factors like age, medical history, geographical location, and ethnicity affect chances of elimination of tumors through surgery for liver cancer. All such factors have to be taken into consideration while deciding on whether a surgical method is suitable for a particular victim.  

Main form of surgery for liver cancer is partial hepatectomy. It is executed to remove the infected part of liver without affecting cell development in rest of the portion. The surgery is profitable mostly to deal with small-sized tumors that are restricted to local areas only. Liver transplant is another option available for patients who suffer from tumor formation that is small-sized but is spread to various areas of liver. Transplantation is done because chances of removing all the tumors are quite less and probability of liver cancer recurrence is high. Cryosurgery is a surgical pattern executed to remove tumors after killing them by using liquid nitrogen.

Liver cancer surgeries should be conducted in a careful manner and proper medical advice must be taken for post-treatment care process. One should be aware of various liver cancer causes and liver cancer symptoms in order to minimize chances of complications during or after the treatment.