What Is Involved in Liver Cancer Surgery?

Liver cancer, cancer that involves the liver to some degree, may require surgery for proper treatment of the disease. Exactly what is involved in the surgery depends on the condition of the liver. It may require anything from removing a small piece of liver that contains a tumor to a complete liver transplant.

Liver cancer surgery is typically used in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation. The purpose of all three treatments is help reduce the cancer burden in the body by decreasing the number of cancer cells present. Chemotherapy kills cancer cells by targeting and killing fast-growing cells in the body, which covers cancer cells but kills beneficial cells as well, including those in the intestine and the scalp, causing such side effects as diarrhea and hair loss. Radiation literally burns the cancer cells, but also takes its toll on other cells that are near the cancer.

When a patient is going to undergo liver cancer surgery, the doctor may decide to use a course of chemotherapy prior to the surgery, to help shrink any tumors and make the surgery easier on the patient. This delays the surgical procedure but often can make healing much quicker and easier. Chemotherapy is also often used after liver cancer surgery, to make sure any cancer remaining in the body is eradicated.

Before liver cancer surgery is considered, many tests are required in order to properly diagnose the condition. Visual imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) scan, an ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may all be used to identify and isolate the specific cause of a person’s symptoms. A patient will also receive blood tests and a liver biopsy — a needle is inserted into the liver to remove a small piece of tissue for testing — to ascertain whether liver cancer is the problem. A doctor may require additional testing to determine if the liver cancer has spread.

If the liver cancer is caught early, surgery may not be indicated. In some cases, the surgeon will operate to expose the liver, then remove the part containing the tumors. The surgery is often done laproscopically, using instruments inserted into the abdomen through small incisions to perform the procedure rather than making a large opening into the abdomen. If the patient has another liver condition, such as cirrhosis, liver cancer surgery may involve a complete liver transplant. The patient’s condition determines the specific surgical procedure involved.