Liver Tumor Thermal Treatment

Liver tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). Benign tumors are somewhat common and usually do not show any symptoms, although some can cause enlargement of the liver (hepatomegaly). An alternative to surgery is a minimally invasive treatment called radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA).

Types

• Malignant tumors are classified into two types: metastatic and primary. Metastatic tumors are caused by cancer cells that have extended outside the original cancer site. Primary tumors originate in the liver itself. Different types of cancer that may begin in the liver are: hepatocellular carcinoma, bile duct cancer, and hepatoblastoma.

Function

• RFA provides a localized, nonsurgical treatment that uses heat to kill the tumor cells and does not harm the surrounding healthy tissue. A small needle is inserted into the tumor through the skin sending electrical currents through the tumor.

Identification

• Since benign tumors are asymptomatic they will usually only be detected when an imaging test is preformed for an unconnected reason. Symptoms of malignant tumors may include cirrhosis, pain of the upper right abdomen, loss of appetite and weight loss, fatigue, blood clotting and jaundice.

Significance

• Your liver does many essential jobs and you cannot survive without it. It breaks down and processes nutrients from food, produces bile to help digest food, filters and removes toxins from the blood, and builds many kinds of proteins that are used on a daily basis.

Considerations

• There are risks with every procedure. Major complications due to RFA are very rare. The most common complication is bleeding.