How liver cancer is diagnosed
In addition to the anamnesis interview, in which the doctor asks about the beginning and course of the complaint, the doctor should also carry out a physical examination with palpation and listening to the abdomen. Sometimes he can thus diagnose an enlarged liver, thickened tumor or flow sounds of the blood vessels. The ultrasound examination can often already make a malignant tumor visible and determine a demarcation to a metastasis of another primary tumor. With a blood test and the tumor marker determination of alpha-fetoprotein and CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) the course of a hepatocellular carcinoma can be observed. A biopsy should not be performed for diagnosis, as there is a risk of tumor spread.
Is that curable?
In principle, liver cancer can be cured. As with other types of cancer, the chances of cure depend on the stage of the cancer. Early stages of cancer can usually be treated better and therefore have a much better prognosis.
In liver cancer, the functionality of the liver also plays an important role and can limit the treatment options. Many patients suffering from liver cancer also suffer from cirrhosis of the liver. In liver cirrhosis, a connective tissue remodelling of the liver tissue takes place so that the function of the liver is impaired.
If the function of the liver is restricted too much, it is not possible to remove the liver tissue affected by the cancer in an operation, as the liver function of the remaining liver tissue would no longer be sufficient. The person would die. In such cases, the chances of recovery are reduced, since the other therapeutic methods have a worse prognosis than surgery. A therapeutic option with a good prognosis in this case would be a liver transplant. But due to the small amount of organs available for transplantation, there are long waiting times.
What novel treatments are coming?
Research is currently continuing into the development of drug therapies to treat liver cancer. With sorafenib, which was approved about ten years ago, a first promising step was taken. Sorafenib inhibits growth signals in the cells and thus inhibits tumor growth.
However, sorafenib cannot cure the cancer, but can significantly prolong the life span of the cancer. Research is underway on other similar drugs, some of which have already been approved for treatment.Immunotherapy with PD1-PDL1 inhibitors also represents a new source of hope. These drugs should help the body to recognize and kill tumor cells. These drugs can also prolong life. How effective they actually are will become apparent in the coming years.
