| On the day of treatment, the patient is given a mild | | | | some types of metastatic liver cancers. Although the |
| sedative and pain medication. The radiologist makes a | | | | procedure has a somewhat higher risk of serious |
| tiny incision in the groin—no larger than the tip of | | | | complications than alcohol injection does, it appears to |
| a pencil—to gain access to the femoral artery. | | | | provide better outcomes. |
| Using moving X-ray images (fluoroscopy) as a visual | | | | A natural home remedy is one way to help you heal. |
| guide, the physician directs a thin, flexible tube | | | | It is a form of self-help. This is what the focus of my |
| (catheter) through the artery and into the main blood | | | | site is. First let me congratulate you on taking control |
| vessel feeding the liver tumor. The radioactive beads | | | | of your own health. Not an easy task for some |
| are injected and carried in the bloodstream up to the | | | | considering all the focus on modern medicine and the |
| tumor, where they embed and slowly kill the | | | | negative information on natural health. |
| cancerous cells. | | | | Treatment of liver cancer may involve surgery, |
| Hepatocellular cancer is more likely to develop in | | | | interventional radiological procedures, and |
| people with chronic cirrhosis. Your specialist may | | | | chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Individual |
| suggest a liver transplant if you have cirrhosis of the | | | | treatment depends largely on the type and extent of |
| liver because of previous liver disease, infection with | | | | disease. |
| a hepatitis virus or from drinking alcohol. You will only | | | | Alcohol injection. In this procedure, pure alcohol is |
| benefit from a liver transplant if you have a single | | | | injected directly into tumors, either through the skin |
| liver tumour that is less than 5cm across, or up to 3 | | | | or during an operation. Alcohol dries out the cells of |
| tumours all less than 3cm across. There is an added | | | | the tumor and eventually the cells die. Each |
| difficulty of having to wait for a suitable donor. This | | | | treatment consists of one injection, although you |
| can take months. During this delay, the cancer will | | | | may need a series of injections for the best results. |
| continue to grow and you have other treatment to | | | | Alcohol injection has been shown to improve survival |
| try to control it. | | | | in people with small hepatocellular tumors. It may also |
| Radiofrequency ablation procedure, electric current in | | | | be used to help reduce symptoms in cases of |
| the radiofrequency range is used to destroy | | | | metastatic liver cancer. The most common side |
| malignant cells. Using an ultrasound or CT scan as a | | | | effect is leaking of alcohol onto the liver or into the |
| guide, your surgeon inserts several thin needles into | | | | abdominal cavity. |
| small incisions in your abdomen. When the needles | | | | Surgery is increasingly being used for patients with |
| reach the tumor, they're heated with an electric | | | | secondary liver cancer. This can sometimes involve |
| current, destroying the malignant cells. | | | | removing a segment of liver. Alternatively, keyhole |
| Radiofrequency ablation is an option for people with | | | | techniques can be used to apply extreme cold or |
| small, unresectable hepatocellular tumors and for | | | | heat to localized areas of the liver. |