Doctors who treat liver cancer include surgeons, liver specialists called hepatologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists. Your health care team may also include an oncology nurse and a registered dietitian. Before your treatment starts, you and your health care team should discuss treatment choices. The right treatment for you depends mainly on the following:
- The number, size, and location of tumors in your liver
- How well your liver is working and whether you have cirrhosis
- If the cancer has spread outside your liver
- Your age, general health, and how the treatments will affect your body and lifestyle
Additional Information
You may also be eligible to participate in a clinical trial. Clinical trials are research studies that test new or different treatments for a disease. The National Cancer Institute believes that for some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network strongly encourages people with liver cancer to participate in clinical trials.
If you want to take part in a clinical trial for liver cancer treatment, or if your health care provider recommends one, there is valuable information at the following websites:
www.clinicaltrials.gov is a service of the National Institutes of Health that provides a list of all the clinical trials that are being carried out in the United States and many parts of the world. You can search for a clinical trial by disease, drug therapy, or trial location.
www.searchclinicaltrials.org offers a free search service by the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP) to help you find a clinical trial that may be right for you.