Liver Cancer Treatment

The most common form of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma, emerging from the hepatocytes, the liver parenchyma cells. Liver Cancer Treatment in Israel is largely determined by the stage of the disease, at Herzliya Medical Center a combination of medical and surgical techniques are carried out for liver cancer patients.
Most liver cancers are secondary or metastatic, meaning it started elsewhere in the body. Primary liver cancer in developed countries is less than 4% and in developing countries more than 50%.

Liver cancer symptoms

Diagnosis of liver cancer at an early stage poses a significant challenge to the physician because of a lack of symptoms. As the tumor grows, the patient may develop:

• Acute weight loss
• Anorexia
• Pain localized on the right side
• Nausea, vomiting
• Tiredness, lethargy
• Enlargement of the liver
• Biliary obstruction symptoms: yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, discoloration of feces

Liver cancer diagnosis in Israel

Diagnosis of liver cancer in Israel is carried out using innovative techniques and modern equipment:

• A blood test for liver function. Abnormal results indicate liver damage.
• In order to perform diagnosis of liver cancer, testing tools are as follows: ultrasonography (US), computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (CT and MRI); they allow to visualize the tumor, to determine its size and location, degree of infiltration into surrounding organs, including lymph nodes.
• A liver biopsy, a small portion of a liver tissue biopsy is taken and then is subjected to histological examination. The presence of atypical cells in the sample confirms the diagnosis of liver cancer. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia and CT or ultrasound.

Liver Cancer Treatment in Israel

Treatment of liver cancer in Israel is planned on the basis of the stage of the disease. To determine the stage a number of additional checks are performed that are designed to establish the scale of the primary lesion and the extent of the malignant process: infiltration into adjacent organs and the presence of metastasis.

At Herzliya Medical Center of liver cancer treatment includes the development of an Individual plan That Reflects the stage of the Process, the Patient’s Age, Medical History, and of course, Individual preferences for further Therapeutic Measures.

The main methods of liver cancer treatment in Israel

Surgery. If a small unit of malignancy is detected, it is possible to produce a partial liver resection – remove the tumor and its neighboring healthy tissue segments. In rare cases, a possible liver transplant.
Cryoablation – effects on cancer cells by low temperatures, causing their destruction. The procedure is performed under ultrasound guidance, summing tumor catheter containing cryogenic – coolant.
Radiofrequency ablation – the destruction of the tumor by high-frequency energy, causing hyperthermia and death of malignant cells.
Transdermal injections or intraoperative ethanol – the destruction of cancer by introducing a solution of ethyl alcohol.
Chemoembolization – method of treating liver cancer in Israel by local chemotherapy. The cytostatic drug is injected into the artery that supplies blood to the tumor, causing the closure of its lumen.
Target therapy – treatment using targeted drugs that suppress angiogenesis – the formation of new blood vessels that supply blood to the tumor tissue. Targeted therapy slows the growth of cancerous tumors and hindered the progress of the disease.
Palliative therapy – a treatment aimed at alleviating symptoms of the disease, particularly pain.

It is generally known that liver cancer prognosis is unfavorable in general. Thanks to modern techniques it is possible to increase the life expectancy of patients with liver cancer and significantly improve their quality of life. Treatment of liver tumor, cancer abroad at Herzliya Medical Center Private Hospital is not only cost-effective but is also carried out by a multidisciplinary team of doctors with a broad knowledge of liver cancer.