Is Liver Cancer Curable in the Last Stage?

Do you know that advanced therapy can increase the life expectancy of a last-stage liver cancer patient?

Yes, advanced therapy can increase life expectancy.

But Is liver cancer curable in last stage?

Liver cancer, particularly the end stage one, has poor outcomes after treatment. The cancer is often inoperable and has spread to nearby and distant organs like the colon and the stomach.

Though the outcomes are poor, with advanced medical applications, it is possible to prolong the survival rate of the patients for patients whose tumors are inoperable.

Let’s go deep into the details of it!

Is Liver Cancer curable in last stage?

In cases of advanced liver cancer, treatment is not aimed at curing the disease. Instead, its focus is on managing the cancer, alleviating symptoms, and enhancing your overall quality of life. The life expectancy of liver cancer depends on how far the cancer has spread in the body. The spread of liver cancer can be classified into localized, regional, and distant.

• In localized liver cancer, the cancer has not spread outside the liver. 
• In regional liver cancer, it has spread in the lymph nodes and the nearby blood vessels. 
• In distant liver cancer, it has spread to distant organs in the body. 

The 5-year survival rate for people with localized liver cancer is 70% whereas in regional-stage liver cancer, it is 12%, and for distant liver cancer spread it’s hardly 3%.

Sub stages of Stage IV Liver Cancer:

In stage IV A, cancer has spread to the lymph nodes but hasn’t metastasized to distant parts of the body. In Stage IV B, the liver cancer has spread to bones, lungs, or the brain.

What are the symptoms of late-stage liver cancer?

The following are the major symptoms:

1. Complete loss of appetite
2. Vomiting
3. Abdominal pain
4. Enlargement of the spleen
5. Jaundice
6. Itching throughout the body
7. Pain near the shoulder blade.  
8. Enlarged veins on the stomach

If you are at the final stage of liver cancer, the following symptoms may occur:

1. Shortness of breath
2. Difficulty in swallowing
3. Hallucinations
4. Decreased urine
5. Heart rate changes
6. Abnormal blood pressure
7. Blue hands and feet
8. Jerkin of muscles
9. Heavy bleeding through the nose or mouth

What are the treatments for end-stage liver cancer?

Chemoembolization: 

Stage IV liver cancer which has become metastasis can’t be treated by surgery because the disease has become widespread. Chemo embolization which is a type of chemotherapy is recommended for treatment. Chemoembolization is a procedure that is used when the tumor cannot be removed by surgery or ablation technique. 

In Chemo embolization, the doctor injects chemotherapy directly into the artery which supplies blood flow to the tumor. By injecting the drugs directly into the tumor, chemotherapy is like to reach the tumor and cause the desired effect. 

This can also reduce the side effects and it reaches the normal cells much less. 

It has to be remembered that a transplant is generally not a solution for stage IV liver cancer. The treatment for Stage IV liver cancer may not also include hepatectomy or segmentectomy. 

However, immune therapy is a possible treatment option for Stage IV liver cancer. 

Immunotherapy: 

Immunotherapy increases the body’s own immune system’s ability to target the cancer. 

Tumor-infiltrating T cells ( immune cells) are isolated from the cancerous cells and are genetically modified to fight against cancer cells. The antigens present on the surface of the immune cells bind to the cancer cell antigens and destroy them. 

Targeted Therapy: 

Mono-chronal antibodies are a type of targeted therapy that is given intravenously. Mono chronal antibodies can be given by infusion with an interval of 2 weeks. Monoclonal antibodies are a type of antibody that binds to the defective cancer proteins in the body and degrades them. 

There are certain kinds of targeted therapy that are known as kinase inhibitors which can be the first line of treatment for Stage IV liver cancer. These kinase inhibitors can bind to kinase molecules and prevent cancer cell growth by disrupting signaling.  They can be given orally. 

Radiation Therapy 

There are 2 kinds of radiation: One is called external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and another is called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). 

EBRT is given daily over a period of 2-3 weeks whereas SBRT is a specific treatment technique to destroy the growing tumor and to preserve the normal liver tissue.

Tumour Board of MedicoExperts – A place to get your cancer symptoms cured. 

MedicoExperts has a well-dedicated tumor board, a panel that consists of radiologists, medical oncologists, and cancer surgeons. The board can help you make the right decision at the right time and even help you to live longer without many side effects. 

Tumour Board has reputed doctors and oncologists who are experienced and can perform cyberknife or chemoembolization with utmost care. The panel of doctors has vast experience in managing symptoms effectively. 

Conclusion 

End-stage liver cancer may be dangerous, but with the right treatment from the right hospital with the correct therapy can help you or your loved ones live a longer life. 

Advanced technology like cyberknife coupled with immunotherapy or targeted therapy has helped to prolong the disease of last-stage liver cancer patients.

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FAQ :

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9950866/
https://www.cancer.gov/types/liver/research
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4057791/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4284220/