Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Hepatocellular carcinoma is also known as liver cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common types of liver cancers. It mainly occurs in people who are suffering from, or have suffered from, chronic conditions of the liver such as hepatits C or B. As is the case with most cancers, there are a few treatment routes that can be taken.

One of the main ways to treat hepatocellular carcinoma is through surgery, however it is not the only option available. Other treatment options include a liver transplant surgery, which is undertaken if the current liver is too damaged. There are some patients who cannot be put through surgery. For them, the treatment options include treating the cancer cells with extreme cold or heat, treating the cells with radiation or chemotherapy, using targeted drug therapy, and radiation therapy. Many doctors also advice their patients to go through clinical trials in order to see how alternate treatment options can benefit them.

To begin the treatment, there must first be a successful diagnosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma is diagnosed through a biopsy of the liver cells. It can also be diagnosed with the help of blood tests, CT scans or MRIs. Depending on how far along the cancer is, the treatment course is decided.

If the treatment decided is surgery, the doctor will remove the tumor, along with some of the tissue surrounding it to remove the cancer from the system. This treatment works best for people in the early stages of cancer. However, if the cancer has taken over large parts of the liver, the doctor may recommend a liver transplant. In this, a healthy liver taken from an organ donor is transplanted into the body of the patient. If the transplant is successful, the body functions return to normal. However, there are certain cases where the body rejects the donor organ, in which case another transplant may be required.

If a patient cannot undergo surgery for any reason, ablation procedures are recommended. In this, heat or cold is used to kill the cancer cells. Chemotherapy and radiation are also commonly suggested treatment options when it comes to cancer. Targeted drug therapy is used to slow down the growth of the cancer if it has reached an advanced stage. It helps to buy time, and can also work as a treatment. Finally, radiation therapy is also recommended.

Depending on the stage of cancer the patient has, he/she is eligible for different treatment options. Surgery works best for early stages of cancer, while chemotherapy is reserved as an option when surgery is not viable.

Depending on your medical history, you may not be eligible for certain treatments. Pregnant women cannot undergo surgery and radiation therapy. Depending on how far along the pregnancy is, even chemotherapy is not a viable option, unless the loss of the unborn child is a risk the patient is willing to take. People with heart conditions are also sometimes advised against extreme surgeries.

Chemotherapy is essentially a way to poison the cancer cells so there are bound to be effects on your body. Patients feel nauseous and fatigued. They also vomit a lot and lose a lot of their hair. With radiation, the skin tends to bear the brunt of the side effects, which generally come in the form of burning.

Cancer is a difficult disease to fight off and even once the treatment is complete, patients are asked to come in for regular check-ups and scans to determine whether the cancer has returned. Lifestyle changes that include not drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, or using drugs much be made. Furthermore, certain medications for health problems may also not be allowed if they have any side effects on the liver.

It can take anywhere between a few months and years to recover.

Chemotherapy costs anywhere between 50,000 – 70,000 INR per session. The cost of a transplant in India can be anywhere between 1,50,000 – 3,00,000 /-.

Cancer can sometimes return, therefore the results are not considered permanent.