Treatment Options Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver and occurs mainly in patients suffering from liver diseases. The first thing that those diagnosed with this disease do is explore and understand the available treatments. Following are the hepatocellular carcinoma treatment options that can be ideal for liver cancer patients as per their age, overall health, how well their liver is functioning, and their cancer stage.
Targeted drug therapy
This is one of the hepatocellular carcinoma treatment options wherein targeted drugs are used for the cells causing growth and development of cancer. Sorafenib (Nexavar) is one targeted treatment for liver cancer, which prevents tumors from forming new blood vessels that these tumors need, to grow.
Surgical resection
This hepatocellular carcinoma treatment option involves removing the part of the liver that has a tumor. The treatment is good for patients who are healthy enough to withstand surgery, their cancer hasn’t spread outside the liver, and the rest of the liver is functioning well.
Liver transplant
Liver transplant is one of the most reliable hepatocellular carcinoma treatment options for those who have early-stage liver cancer but cannot undergo a surgery. However, the transplant has its own ups and downs, and liver donors are scarce.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is another treatment that is used for killing cancer cells or to shrink liver tumors.
Chemotherapy
Yet another hepatocellular carcinoma treatment option is chemotherapy. Powerful chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into the liver but the treatment is not effective in the long run.
Ablative techniques
Radiofrequency ablation is a technique wherein surgeons guide a needle through the abdomen into the tumor. Then an electric current is used for heating and destroying cancer cells. On the other hand, Cryoablation technique makes use of extreme cold to kill cancer cells. In addition, pure alcohol can also be used to destroy cancer cells. The doctor injects it into the tumor through the abdomen or during the surgery.
