Methods And Procedures To Clear Liver Cancer

By Author: Vijay K Shetty
Total Articles: 598
Comment this article

Cancer is caused by a lot of factors. Cancer itself can be triggered by DNA mutations that cause changes in the chemical processes across the body. Liver cancer is more of a threat to people who drink excessively but it could also be determined by other factors. Right now, it is still unknown how the condition develops. The only thing we know is that we need to remove the malignant cells using different methods. There are several ways in which liver cancer can be addressed.

Freezing The Cancer Cells:

This is also known as cryoablation and what it does is the cancer cells are exposed to extreme cold temperatures in order to be destroyed. A cryoprobe is used for this procedure containing liquid nitrogen. The liver tumors are exposed to the freezing liquid nitrogen with the help of ultrasound. Most of the time, this is the only method that is used. In some cases, it can be used in conjunction with surgery and other standard liver cancer treatments.

Surgical Removal Of Affected Liver Parts:

Speaking of surgery, the doctor might opt to have the patient undergo hepatectomy which is the surgical removal ...
... of particular parts of the liver affected by the malignant tumors. This is done if the tumor is small and there is healthy cell around the tumor. Taking too much of the liver might not be the case for more severe conditions.

Radiation Therapy:

This liver cancer treatment uses high frequency beams that can be used to shrink the tumors and kill them off. In this procedure, the patient will lie on a table where a machine looms from above. Energy beams are directed by a computer and they offer pinpoint precision to the particular areas of the liver. This procedure is effective but it also has some side effects like vomiting, nausea and fatigue.

Chemotherapy:

Drugs used for chemotherapy are injected into the liver directly. These are very strong drugs. The hepatic artery is blocked since this is where the cancer cells derive their supply of blood. The medicines are administered between the blockage and the liver.

Other Treatments:

There are several other liver cancer treatments that can be done. Pure alcohol injections are administered directly to the tumors and this helps in drying out the tumors to death. If there is super cooling, there is also heating of the cancer cells. This uses CT scan or ultra sound as the imaging tool and electric current is administered over the malignant cells. If the liver has cirrhosis and cancer, transplantation of a healthy liver from a compatible donor might be used.

These methods do not offer sure fire results. No one can tell if the cancer will go back but at least, there is hope that a procedure can be done to regain the life of that person once again.

Vijay K Shetty, Ezine Articles Expert Author.For more information: Get Health Advice
Get more information: Heart Attack Symptoms