Liver Cancer — Chemotherapy: treatment in the Best Hospitals in the World
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Department of Oncology
The Department of Oncology offers high-precision diagnostics and comprehensive treatment of oncological diseases, including palliative care for patients with terminal stages of malignancies. The specialized Cancer Center Berlin-Buch also operates on the basis of the department, which allows treating patients in interdisciplinary cooperation with the involvement of various specialists. The doctors of the department have rich experience in treating patients with oncopathologies, and also have a perfect command of all the modern and most effective therapeutic methods. The department is certified in accordance with the standards of the German Cancer Society.
Department of Hematology and Oncology
The Department of Hematology and Oncology treats solid malignant tumors of various localizations, blood cancer, and benign hematopoietic pathologies. A qualified team consisting of oncologists, hematologists, psycho-oncologists, physiotherapists, and experienced nursing staff takes care of the health of patients. Whenever required, doctors from related medical fields are also involved in the therapeutic process. All specialists make every effort to provide patients with effective and personalized medical services while surrounding them with care. The department is part of the Cancer Center of the hospital, which is certified according to the requirements of the German Cancer Society (DKG). The department prefers a multidisciplinary approach, holding weekly tumor boards with the participation of oncologists, hematologists, radiation therapists, and surgeons, as well as highly specialized experts in gynecology, urology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, etc. The department's specialists have in their arsenal modern treatment methods for malignant diseases, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and many others. Patients with advanced stages of cancer are offered palliative care aimed at alleviating pain syndrome and ensuring a decent quality of life.
Department of Oncology and Palliative Care
The Department of Oncology and Palliative Care provides palliative treatment for patients with incurable diseases. The goal of the department's physicians is to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and improve the quality of life. The department's specialists take an individual approach to each patient, always respecting the patient's wishes. A competent multidisciplinary team, consisting of palliative care specialists, nurses, psycho-oncologists, physiotherapists and social workers, works here for the benefit of the patients.
Chemotherapy is used for the treatment of most cancers, and liver cancer is no exception. Chemotherapy is not highly effective for this disease. But it still remains the main method for inoperable tumors. This applies to the majority of liver cancer cases, because radical surgery can only be performed when carcinoma is detected at an early stage.
Content
Indications
The chemotherapy method in the treatment of liver cancer is used in the following cases:
- Localized inoperable cancer
- Metastatic liver cancer
- Recurrent cancer after surgery
Chemotherapy treatment is not usually applied in addition to radical surgery. It is not prescribed after a surgical intervention. An exception is chemotherapy for liver metastases. Sometimes chemotherapy, along with targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy or hepatic artery embolization, can be used to try to shrink the tumor. In this case, non-resectable cancer can sometimes be made resectable. Eventually, the patient undergoes surgery, which may potentially cure the disease.
For non-resectable localized cancer, the treatment option of organ transplantation remains. Chemotherapy can be used while the patient is waiting for this operation.
Systemic chemotherapy
The conventional way of treatment is based on chemotherapy drugs administered intravenously or taken orally by the patient in the form of tablets, pills or capsules. Such therapy for oncological disease allows for affecting all tumor foci at once, regardless of their localization. Therefore, a therapeutic effect can also be achieved at a stage of liver cancer in which distant metastases have already occurred.
Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs are not particularly effective for hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, at least two drugs are used simultaneously. If the patient is in a good physical condition and can tolerate more intensive treatment, three drugs can be used.
Chemotherapy is carried out in cycles. Each cycle is followed by a rest phase. One cycle lasts 2-3 weeks. The treatment regimen depends on the combination of drugs used.
Systemic chemotherapy for stage 4 liver cancer can only control the disease for a short time or shrink the size of the tumor. As a rule, the response to this treatment does not last long. Recent studies have shown that chemotherapy does not significantly affect the life expectancy of patients with liver cancer.
Regional chemotherapy
Regional chemotherapy has proven to be a more effective type of cancer treatment. The drugs are delivered directly into the area where the tumor is located. This allows for much higher dosages. However, the method also has disadvantages: the treatment is invasive, as it requires access to the hepatic artery via a catheter. It mainly targets the main tumor, but not its metastases.
The essence of the treatment method is as follows:
- Under the general anesthesia, the patient undergoes a minor surgical procedure in which the hepatic artery is catheterized and a device is implanted under the abdominal skin to inject the chemotherapy drugs.
- The chemotherapy drugs are injected into a reservoir.
- They are gradually delivered into the hepatic artery with a pump.
Although high doses of drugs are used, they have little or no systemic effect and do not cause any side effects typical of chemotherapy. The reason for this is that most drugs are destroyed as they pass through the liver.
Regional chemotherapy for liver cancer is mainly used in patients with inoperable cancer as an alternative to surgery. This method allows for shrinking the size of the tumor. Sometimes the cancer becomes operable after a course of regional chemotherapy, and the doctor may try to remove the tumor so that the patient is completely cured.
Treatment abroad with Booking Health
You can undergo chemotherapy for liver cancer abroad. You can use the Booking Health service to do this. You can book a medical care program by selecting a treatment cost that is affordable for you. The Booking Health staff will help you organize your trip. By booking your liver cancer treatment through our service, you will benefit from a variety of advantages:
- Selection of the best oncology clinic that specializes in chemotherapy for liver cancer.
- Reduced cost for liver cancer treatment. You save up to 50% due to the absence of extra charges and coefficients for foreign patients.
- Appointment scheduled at your convenience.
- Preparation of the program in line with the previous diagnostic examinations.
- Direct contact with your attending physician.
- Monitoring of all the stages of the program.
- Control of invoices and return of unused funds.
- Buying and forwarding medications to your native country.
- Organization of additional diagnostic or treatment procedures, including liver recovery after chemotherapy.
- Communication with the hospital after the completion of your treatment.
We will take care of booking your hotel room and your flight tickets. We will also meet you at the German airport and take you to the hospital. After the program is completed, our team will arrange your return transfer.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
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