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Liver Cancer
Your treatment plan is a team effort; you are the captain of that team.
Liver cancer, which is also called hepatocellular carcinoma or HCC, is a type cancer that originates in the liver. Liver cancer is a relatively common cancer in South Texas. The reason for the increase in cases is not readily apparent.
Why choose the Mays Cancer Center for liver cancer?
At the Mays Cancer Center, our multidisciplinary team is led by gastrointestinal medical oncologists and hepatologists (doctors who specialize in diseases of the liver) and includes medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and radiation oncologists.
We partner with radiologists who specialize in imaging and treatment techniques and we work with our team of liver transplant surgeons, who specialize in liver surgery. Together, we design a treatment plan specific to each patient.
Care is delivered after rapid comprehensive evaluations and discussion at regularly conducted cancer conferences with the team that includes pathologists who specialize in liver pathology.
Our multidisciplinary liver cancer team offers screening, treatment, counseling and advice regarding all options. Patients are seen by all specialists at the same time.
Clinical trials
We are the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center in Central and South Texas. The cancer center offers care delivered by teams specializing in all phases of clinical trials. Clinical trials are available for patients who have just been diagnosed and never been treated. Clinical trials are also available for patients who have had prior treatments.
The cancer center offers experimental treatments and first-in-human clinical trials under special programs for patients who qualify.
Make an appointment
To request an appointment with our team or to make a referral to one of our physicians, please call the main number: 210-450-1000 or 800-340-2872 or email CTRCReferral@uthscsa.edu.
Symptoms
Symptoms of live cancer may include:
- Abdominal pain
- Distention of the abdomen
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Unexplained weight loss
- Jaundice
Most people living with Hepatitis C in the United States do not know they have it until it causes serious problems years later. Hepatitis C is one of the main causes of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) but it can be prevented. Baby boomers born from 1945 - 1965 have higher risk of both Hepatitis C and HCC so they need to get tested and treated.
Diagnosis
How is liver cancer diagnosed?
Liver cancer can be a silent cancer. Tests are necessary to confirm diagnosis.
- Blood tests can show tumor markers such as alpha feto-protein (AFP) or other liver function tests.
- Ultrasounds and other scans also may be used.
- CT or MRI scans and other imaging tests will be reviewed and interpreted by expert radiology staff in partnership with the cancer center’s Liver Cancer team.
- Biopsy: This may be necessary for select patients.
Tests, including blood tests, CT scans and other imaging scans, will be performed to determine extent of disease. This is called staging. The stage of the cancer and the assessment of liver function determines the ideal primary treatment.
Treatment
Liver cancer treatment at the UT Health Cancer Center
Our liver cancer experts will discuss treatment options at one appointment:
- Surgery: The cancer is removed by a team that includes liver transplant surgeons and other surgeons who specialize in liver cancer surgery.
- Radiology or image-guided treatments: Radiofrequency ablation, chemo-embolization and use of radioactive isotopes are placed directly into the liver cancer by interventional radiology doctors who specialize in liver cancer treatments.
- Radiation therapy: Techniques that are specific to liver cancer are available.
- Chemotherapy: Standard chemotherapy options are used with some patients.
- Clinical trial-based new treatment: Options will be discussed and treatments will be tailored to each patient’s needs.
- Survivorship care: Our patients are provided with long-term surveillance and regular follow-up visits are planned to provide the best long-term survivorship care.
Causes
Risk factors for liver cancer include:
- Hepatitis B virus infection
- Hepatitis C virus infection
- Related liver disease
- Chronic liver disorders: These may also predispose a person to liver cancer.
Screening programs for early detection may be recommended for specific populations.