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Metastasized Liver Treatment

Liver cancer is caused by the growth of abnormal cells in the liver, the primary function of which is to detoxify the body. Metastasized liver cancer is a disease that has spread to the liver from elsewhere in the body, usually originating in the lung, breast, colon, pancreas and stomach. According to the Mayo Clinic, liver cancer is uncommon in the United States; however, the rates of individuals diagnosed with this disease are increasing.

  1. Symptoms

    • Patients rarely experience symptoms before diagnosis. The first indications of this disease are often vague but may include weight loss, fever, dull abdominal pain and a poor appetite. As the disease progresses, the liver will become enlarged, hard and tender and symptoms may also include jaundice, confusion and lethargy. As cancer advances, pain increases.

    Diagnosis

    • A medical professional often will have difficulty diagnosing liver cancer until it is in advanced stages. A range of procedures will be scheduled including blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, liver function test and a biopsy to allow the doctor to make an accurate diagnosis and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

    Personal Factors

    • To help a patient during treatment for this disease, the patient should be at a healthy weight. As difficult as it may be at times, the patient needs to eat to maintain his strength, which will help promote the healing process. Protein is necessary because it can help the patient feel better and have more energy

    Treatment

    • Treatment depends on how far the cancer has spread and in what organ the cancer originated, known as the primary cancer. The focus of the treatment program is to prevent the tumor from growing or spreading. Specific treatment depends on your age, overall health, medical history, extent of the disease, tolerance of specific medications, procedures, therapies, and personal opinion or preference.

    Chemotherapy/Radiation/Surgery

    • Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to kill the cancer cells, while radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill or shrink the cells. Both these procedures may help relieve the symptoms of this disease but will not cure it. Surgery may also be recommended as treatment to remove the cancerous tissue from the liver; however, the malignancy must be small and confined.

    Comfort/Pain Relief

    • Metastasized liver disease, one of the most difficult diseases to eradicate, is usually so advanced that treatment is not prescribed as a cure but as better management of the disease and an improved quality of life. If the cancer has spread extensively, a medical professional will usually try to relieve and mitigate the symptoms. There are times when prescribed treatment is not to remove or slow the disease, but to provide comfort care and pain relief as much as possible.

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