Liver Cancer Treatment

Liver Cancer Treatment in India: Leading the fight against cancer

Liver cancer is a cancer that begins in the cells of your liver. Your liver is a football-sized organ that is in the upper right portion of your abdomen, beneath your right lung, and above your stomach.

It ranks as one of the most common types of cancer worldwide and has a high mortality rate. Early detection and timely intervention are important for improving prognosis and liver cancer treatment.

Let us take you on a journey where we will let you know what causes liver cancer, its types, risk factors, and treatment options available in all top-tier hospitals in India.

Understanding the importance of liver

The liver is located on the upper right side of the body, behind the lower ribs. It performs the following functions:

● Store nutrients
● Remove waste products and worn-out cells from the blood
● Produce bile that helps to store fats

What is liver cancer?

Liver cancer is a serious medical condition that is characterized by abnormal growth of cells in the liver tissue. Liver cancer is of two types:

Primary Cancer: It starts in your liver

Secondary Cancer: It spreads to your liver from other parts of the body.

Primary Liver cancer is of three types:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): This is the most common form of liver cancer, representing nearly all liver cancer cases.

Intrahepatic cancer (IHC): This is a form of cholangiocarcinoma. IHC is cancer in your liver’s bile ducts. It represents about 10% to 20% of all primary liver cancer cases.

Angiosarcoma: This type is very rare, representing about 1% of all primary liver cancer cases. This cancer begins in the lining of blood cells in your liver. (Angiosarcoma may also affect other organs.)

In India, liver cancer treatment options are available that include surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, making it one of the leading destinations for liver cancer treatment.

Symptoms of Liver cancer

The major symptoms of liver cancer are:

● Losing weight without trying
● Loss of appetite
● Upper abdominal pain
● Nausea and vomiting
● General weakness and fatigue
● The yellow color of your skin and the whites of your eye
● White and chalky stools

Liver Cancer Stages

The stage determines to what extent the cancer has spread into the body. The different stages of the cancer are:

Stage 1: The cancer is confined to the liver only

Stage 2: there are small tumors in the liver that have increased in size, and one or more tumors have reached the blood vessel.

Stage 3: A large number of tumors have reached the blood vessel, and cancer has also reached the gallbladder.

Stage 4: Metastasis. Liver cancer has spread to other parts of the body as well.

Causes of Liver Cancer

Primary liver cancer occurs in the livers damaged by

● Alcoholic misuse
● Chronic infections by hepatitis B and C
● hemochromatosis( a condition with too much iron in the liver)
● Cirrhosis ( scarring in the liver due to alcohol misuse)
● Obesity and fatty liver disease

Other risk factors include:

● Your sex- Men are more likely to be affected than women
● Your weight- obesity increases the risk of liver cancer
● Anabolic steroid use
● History of diabetes
● Inherited metabolic disease
● Rare diseases like alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, tyrosinemia, and Wilson’s disease.
● Smoking

Diagnosis of Liver Cancer

Diagnostic tests for liver cancer include:

● Liver function tests
● Alpha Fetoprotien Test ( AFP)
● Imaging Tests like ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRI scans
● Liver Biopsy

Perfect diagnosis is essential to determine the best liver cancer treatment in India.

Best liver cancer treatment : Options Available in India

In India, your treatment plan depends on several factors:

● The number, size, and location of tumors in your liver
● How well your liver is functioning
● Whether cirrhosis is present or not
● Whether the cancer has spread to other organs

Treatments for Liver cancer include:

The various liver cancer treatment options in India are:

Partial Hepatectomy: A partial hepatectomy is performed to remove the portion of the liver. This liver cancer surgery is performed to treat an early-stage cancer.

Liver Transplant: In this procedure, the defective liver is replaced with a healthy liver from a suitable donor. A transplant is considered if the cancer has not spread to different organs.

Ablation: Ablation involves the use of heat or ethanol injections to destroy the cancer cells. It is a good option for people who are not candidates for surgery or transplant. Liver cancer surgery in India is one of the most advanced options to treat liver cancer.

Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy uses high-beam energy radiation to kill the cancer cells. The radiation can be delivered externally or internally.

Targeted Therapy: Targeted therapy uses medications designed to decrease tumor growth and blood supply. Compared to chemotherapy or radiation, these medications are fine-tuned to treat cancer cells only. This means that healthy cells can be spared from harm.

Embolization: This procedure is used to reduce blood supply to liver tumors. The doctor will insert small particles to create a partial blockage in the hepatic artery. Another blood vessel known as the portal vein will nourish the healthy tissues.

Chemoembolization: In this the doctor injects a chemotherapy drug into the hepatic artery before injecting the blocking particles. Coils made of platinum and steel are used to occlude the blood vessels. They are used as a barrier to block the blood flow.

Radioembolization: Radioembolization is a liver cancer treatment which is a combination of radiation therapy and embolization. It involves injecting tiny radioactive beads into the hepatic artery. This decreases blood flow to the tumor and provides radiation therapy to the direct area of the cancer.

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a powerful drug that destroys cancer cells. It is used when other therapies are not working well.

Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy treats cancer using your body’s immune system. Treatment with immunotherapy drugs can help your body recognize and destroy cancer cells.

Palliative Care

Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care specialists work with you, your family, and your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support that complements your ongoing care. Palliative care can be used while undergoing other aggressive liver cancer treatment in India, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.

How can you prevent liver cancer?

You can’t always prevent liver cancer. However, you can reduce the risk of liver cancer by taking the following steps as suggested by the best liver cancer treatment doctors in India:

● Get the Hepatitis B vaccine
● Take measures to prevent hepatitis C. There is no vaccine for it, but you can take the following steps to reduce the risk:
● Use condoms
● Avoid drug abuse
● Be cautious about tattoos and piercings
● Reduce the risk of cirrhosis by drinking alcohol in moderation. It would be best if you completely stop alcohol and smoking.
● Take steps to treat obesity.
● Follow an active and healthy lifestyle.
● Eat balanced diet

Prognosis

The prognosis of liver cancer surgery or any other treatment depends on several factors:

● The stage at which cancer is diagnosed
● The overall health of the patient
● Extent of liver damage
● Treatment effectiveness

For HCC, the five-year survival rate is 10 to 30 %. In cases where liver cancer is detected at an early stage, the prognosis becomes better, and there are chances of long-term survival. But if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the chances of survival become very low.

Top Hospitals and Doctors Doing Liver Cancer Treatment in India

How can you get effective liver cancer treatment in India?

Cross Border Care is here for you if you are looking for trustworthy treatment consultants in India. We will help you find the best doctor in India and get your treatment done for JCI-accredited hospitals at the most pocket-friendly rates. Our team includes experienced medical professionals with you at each treatment step. So, if you are planning your liver cancer treatment in India, fill out the form below, and we will help you choose the best doctor and hospital providing state-of-the-art technology.

We will help you to find the best Liver Cancer Treatment Doctors in India.