LIVER EARLY DETECTION and TREATMENT

Early detection:Screening for liver cancer has not been proven to improve survival. Nonetheless, many doctors in the US screen high-risk persons (e.g., HCV-infected persons with cirrhosis) with ultrasound or blood tests. Treatment:Early stage liver cancer can sometimes be successfully treated with surgery in patients with sufficient healthy liver tissue; liver transplantation may also be an option. Surgical treatment of early stage liver cancer is often limited by pre-existing liver disease that has damaged the portion of the liver not affected by cancer. Patients whose tumors cannot be surgically removed may choose ablation (tumor destruction) or embolization, a procedure that cuts off blood flow to the tumor. Fewer treatment options exist for patients diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. Sorafenib (Nexavar) is a targeted drug approved for the treatment of HCC in patients who are not candidates for surgery.source: American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013.