Liver Cancer — Alcohol or Radiofrequency Tumor Nodes Ablation: treatment in the Best Hospitals in the World
Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Vogl is Professor and Head of the Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the University Hospital Frankfurt-am-Main. He conducts online consultations about the possibility of treatment of stage 4 cancer in Germany.
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Department of Interventional Neuroradiology
The Department of Interventional Neuroradiology offers the full range of services in the areas of its specialization. The medical facility provides imaging diagnostics and low-traumatic image-guided interventional treatment of nervous system diseases. The department's specialists have rich experience and exceptional professional skills in the field of interventional procedures for acute and chronic vascular diseases, such as ischemic strokes, brain hemorrhages, cerebral artery stenosis, brain aneurysms, and vascular malformations. The department's neuroradiologists cooperate closely with neurologists and neurosurgeons so that each patient receives an optimal treatment regimen based on the expert opinions of the specialists. The department's medical team has state-of-the-art computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and MR angiography systems that are actively used for diagnosing patients and therapeutic procedures. Medical care is provided in compliance with current clinical protocols. The department also offers many outpatient medical services, which is an advantage for many patients.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology offers all modern methods of high-precision imaging diagnostics and minimally invasive imaging-guided therapeutic procedures. The department meets all radiation protection standards, which are especially important in the diagnostics of children and adolescents. The basis of successful clinical practice of the medical facility is a progressive technological base and the best highly qualified specialists.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
The Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology offers all modern diagnostic tests using ionizing radiation, imaging-guided tissue sampling procedures (biopsy) and minimally invasive therapeutic procedures. The patients can receive medical care both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. To achieve the optimal results, the department cooperates closely with specialists in the field of radiation therapy, oncology, neurology, neurosurgery and neuro-oncology, as well as urology, orthopedics, pain therapy and palliative care. Such collaboration helps to establish an accurate diagnosis and provide the most effective therapy.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine
The Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine offers the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the areas of its specialization. The department has high-tech equipment for all types of modern imaging tests, image-guided therapeutic procedures, as well as radioisotope examinations and treatment of thyroid diseases using radioiodine therapy. The patients are provided with both inpatient and outpatient medical care. However, hospitalization is usually required only in the case of complex therapeutic interventions. The patients' health is in the good hands of the highly qualified doctors. The specialists regularly undergo advanced training courses, attend medical congresses and symposia, where they find out about innovations in the area of their specialization and share their experience with colleagues. To provide maximum safety for patients, the department strictly adheres to radiation protection standards.
Department of Interventional Radiology
The Department of Interventional Radiology offers the full range of imaging examinations, as well as innovative image-guided minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of tumors, vascular diseases and internal pathologies (for example, CT, MRI, PET-CT, SPECT). The department's doctors have deep knowledge and colossal experience in the field of interventional radiological methods of treatment, which represent an excellent alternative to open surgical interventions. Despite the high level of technical equipment and the presence of advanced computerized systems, the focus is always on the person with his individual needs. Compliance with current clinical protocols and high professionalism of the department's specialists contribute to the successful clinical practice, as well as the reputability of the department among the best medical facilities of this kind in Germany.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology offers the full range of modern radiological diagnostics and minimally invasive treatment both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. It has advanced equipment for conducting radiological studies in adults and children, as well as minimally invasive procedures under the guidance of imaging systems. There is maintained close cooperation with many departments of the hospital, which provides an interdisciplinary approach to treatment and comprehensive medical care.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology is one of the best institutions of its kind in Germany and offers patients the full range of radiological studies and imaging-guided minimally invasive therapy. The department’s scope of tasks also includes imaging diagnostics in children of all age groups, detection and invasive treatment of cerebral vascular pathology (neuroradiology). Patient care is provided both on an inpatient and outpatient basis.
Department of Neuroradiology
The Department of Neuroradiology provides the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services in the areas of its specialization. The team of the department's doctors deals with the diagnostics and treatment of brain and spinal cord pathologies. The department has at its disposal state-of-the-art medical equipment, including systems for CT, MRI and myelography, thanks to which specialists can comprehensively assess the state of the nervous system, detect pathological processes at the initial stages and provide effective treatment. Among the department's therapeutic options, a special focus is on the interventional treatment of acute stroke – thrombectomy. Another important focus of the specialists' work is the treatment of cerebral vascular malformations, stenosis of the arteries of the brain and spinal cord, and cerebral aneurysms. In addition, the department provides CT-guided interventional pain management to relieve chronic back pain. The department's neuroradiologists cooperate closely with doctors from the related medical specialties: neurologists, neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists and radiation therapists. The specialists strive to provide each patient with high quality medical care meeting his needs and wishes.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology offers the full range of services in these medical fields. To ensure the accurate diagnostics and effective treatment, the department has state-of-the-art medical equipment, particularly 64-slice CT scanner, two 1.5 Tesla high-performance MRI devices, modern equipment for digital subtraction angiography (DSA), pulsed fluoroscopy and many other devices. All medical services are carried out in strict accordance with the protocols of professional societies.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology offers the full range of medical services in these fields. In order to ensure the most accurate and reliable diagnostics, the department has state-of-the-art systems for CT, MRI, PET, ultrasound and X-ray examinations, as well as PET-CT and SPECT-CT hybrid examinations. The department specializes in interventional radiology, namely, imaging-guided therapy. It performs all vascular (for example, vascular recanalization) and non-vascular imaging-guided interventions (for example, tumor ablation). The department is one of the largest and leading medical facilities of this kind in Europe.
Department of Clinical and Interventional Neuroradiology
The Department of Clinical and Interventional Neuroradiology offers the full range of services in the relevant medical fields. It provides high-precision diagnosis and effective treatment of diseases of the central nervous system, that is, the brain and spinal cord, meninges and vessels that supply these organs.
Department of Interventional Radiology
The Department of Interventional Radiology conducts high-precision imaging diagnostics of all the organs and anatomical structures of the body, and also offers many interventional image-guided therapeutic procedures. Particular attention is paid to angiography to assess the state of the vascular system and patency of the blood vessels, skeletal X-ray scanning and comprehensive diagnostics of oncological diseases. The department cooperates with the specialists from all medical fields of the hospital, providing them with its technical resources for examining their patients. The department's doctors also specialize in image-guided interventional minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of certain diseases, such as vascular pathologies. The doctors of the medical facility work on state-of-the-art equipment, which guarantees a high safety of manipulations and a compliance with radiation protection standards. The department's patients most often undergo their diagnostic examinations and treatment on an outpatient basis, which is an indisputable advantage.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology specializes in modern imaging examinations and minimally traumatic image-guided interventional procedures. Of particular interest to the department's experienced medical team is individualized minimally invasive therapy for cancer and the treatment of pain syndromes and vascular pathologies. The medical facility has state-of-the-art equipment for X-ray scanning, angiography, ultrasound scanning, CT, MRI, and PET/MRI. The diagnostic devices are adapted for children, including newborns. During examinations and treatment, the department's specialists strictly meet radiation protection standards. As for treatment, special attention in clinical practice is paid to interventional procedures for vascular diseases and malignant tumors. These procedures are performed using catheter-based techniques under CT, MRI, or angiography guidance. Despite the low trauma rate of interventional manipulations, their effectiveness is comparable to full-fledged surgery. The medical facility cooperates closely with other departments at the hospital, thus providing comprehensive medical care at the highest level of university medicine. The department's successful clinical practice has been recognized by prestigious quality certificates, including the ClarZert certificate and certificates from the German Cancer Society (DKG) and the German Radiological Society (DRG).
Department Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology
The Department Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology, Neuroradiology offers the full range of services in the areas of its specialization. The department has state-of-the-art equipment, thanks to which doctors successfully carry out imaging diagnostics allowing them to determine the diagnosis as accurately as possible and develop the most effective treatment regimen. The department performs X-ray studies, ultrasound scanning, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography, mammography and a combined method of computed tomography with positron emission tomography (PET-CT). Cardiac CT and MRI are also carried out in cooperation with the Department of Cardiology. The department is one of the few medical facilities of this kind in Germany specializing in the imaging diagnostics in children. The range of the department's services is complemented by minimally invasive image-guided therapeutic procedures. In the field of interventional radiology, the focus is on the treatment of pain syndromes, vascular diseases, benign and malignant tumors, as well as metastases. The department's radiologists strictly adhere to the radiation protection standards, so all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are absolutely safe for patients.
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
The Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology offers the full range of image-guided diagnostic and interventional therapeutic procedures at the highest level of modern medicine. Medical care can be provided both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The department's specialists annually perform more than 70,000 diagnostic tests, and therefore they have tremendous experience and guarantee an accurate diagnosis, which determines the success of follow-up treatment. Radiologists have state-of-the-art systems for digital radiography, digital fluoroscopy, sonography, mammography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography and other examinations. The doctors use in their work a modern picture archiving and communication system, thanks to which the specialists from various departments of the hospital have access to the results of patient's diagnostic examination at any time. The radiation protection standards are strictly observed in the department's clinical practice.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Diagnostic, Interventional Radiology offers the full range of imaging diagnostic tests and image-guided interventional therapeutic procedures. Medical care is provided on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The team of the department's doctors provides its services to both adults and young patients. The department has at its disposal high-tech equipment, which allows the doctors to detect the slightest impairments in the anatomical structures of the human body. The diagnostic results are considered at regular boards with the participation of all necessary specialists in related fields. In addition, the department uses an innovative system for storing and managing diagnostic data, allowing doctors in all departments to have unhindered access to the patient's imaging results at any time. The department's radiologists strictly adhere to the current radiation protection standards, and therefore the radiation has a minimal effect on the human body.
Most patients are diagnosed with liver cancer at an inoperable stage. Surgery cannot be performed due to the spread of the tumor or the low functional reserve of the liver, as the disease often develops against the background of viral hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. However, this does not mean that the options for treating the disease are exhausted. If the tumor cannot be removed, it can be destroyed by alcohol or radiofrequency ablation of tumor nodules in liver cancer.
Content
- What is alcohol ablation for liver cancer?
- Advantages and disadvantages of alcohol ablation for liver cancer
- Indications for alcohol ablation for liver cancer
- What is radiofrequency ablation for liver cancer?
- Indications for radiofrequency ablation for liver cancer
- Benefits of ablation for liver cancer
- Where can I have an ablation procedure for liver cancer?
What is alcohol ablation for liver cancer?
Alcohol ablation (alcoholization) is a type of chemical ablation in which ethyl alcohol is injected into the tumor area. Historically, it was one of the first ablation techniques. It has been used for the treatment of liver cancer for more than 40 years.
The principle of the method is to achieve coagulation necrosis (death) of the tissue by injecting 95% ethyl alcohol. The second mechanism of action is the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. This causes ischemia (oxygen starvation) of the tumor nodules in the liver, which enhances the effect of ablation.
The method can be used to treat patients with small tumor nodules. The best results can be achieved if it has been completely destroyed. The probability of complete destruction of a nodule by alcoholization is as follows:
- Up to 75% in patients with tumors up to 5 cm in size
- Up to 60% in patients with tumors larger than 5 cm
Even if the tumor was not completely destroyed the first time, the procedure can be repeated in the future.
Advantages and disadvantages of alcohol ablation for liver cancer
If alcohol ablation is compared to other types of this procedure, it has both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage is the low cost of the method and the absence of heating of the tissues located near the tumor, which allows the procedure to be performed even if the tumor foci in liver cancer are located near large blood vessels.
Disadvantages include a less pronounced effect compared to radiofrequency ablation, the need for several procedures, and an area of destruction that is difficult to control.
Indications for alcohol ablation for liver cancer
Both alcohol and radiofrequency ablation can be performed in the following cases:
- A small liver tumor that cannot be resected due to problems with the patient's internal organs or a low functional reserve of the liver
- Cancer recurrence after liver resection
- Recurrence or continued tumor growth after hepatic artery chemoembolization
Conditions for a successful procedure include the following:
- Tumor size of 4 cm or less
- The number of tumor nodules is no more than four
- The lesion does not exceed 30% of the liver parenchyma volume
Although alcohol ablation cancer treatment is usually used as a stand-alone procedure, in some cases it may be used as an adjunct to surgery. For example, doctors may remove a larger tumor and then destroy small tumor foci in another lobe of the liver.
What is radiofrequency ablation for liver cancer?
Radiofrequency ablation for liver cancer is the most commonly used procedure worldwide due to its simplicity, high efficiency, and safety. The technique is well researched because it has been used in medicine for more than 30 years.
The essence of the treatment method is that a probe is inserted into the tumor through a skin puncture and then heated. The zone of thermal effect spreads from the point of probe insertion to the periphery, causing the formation of a necrosis area of varying diameter, depending on the size of the tumor.
It is usually a minimally invasive procedure, requiring only a skin puncture to insert the probe. A laparoscopic approach is used less frequently, and an open approach (laparotomy) is a very rare option that may be used if the probe cannot be safely inserted into the tumor through a direct skin puncture.
Indications for radiofrequency ablation for liver cancer
The treatment method can be used in the following cases:
- Liver tumors up to 5 cm in size
- It is possible to treat neoplasms larger than 5 cm if they shrink in size under the influence of other treatments
- Presence of up to 5 tumor foci
- Residual tumor after any treatment of liver cancer
- Local recurrence of liver cancer
A prerequisite for the use of both radiofrequency ablation and any other ablation techniques for tumor foci in liver cancer is the absence of extrahepatic metastases.
Radiofrequency ablation has greater capabilities than alcohol ablation and is more effective because it usually allows complete destruction of tumor foci during a single procedure. At the same time, it requires certain conditions:
- Clear imaging of tumor foci (requires ultrasound or CT guidance for inserting the probe into the very center of the tumor)
- Possibility of safe access to the tumor nodule
- Location of the tumor at a considerable distance from the major blood vessels of the liver
The method can be used when tumor nodes are located only in the liver, with no signs of disease spread to neighboring organs.
Benefits of ablation for liver cancer
Liver cancer treatment with various ablation options has become widespread in developed countries, as this group of methods has many benefits. These are as follows:
- Minimal trauma rate
- No prolonged hospitalization and rehabilitation are required
- Low cost of cancer therapy
- The method can be performed for patients with contraindications to surgery
- The method of liver cancer treatment is compatible with surgery, chemoembolization, and any kind of systemic therapy
Where can I have an ablation procedure for liver cancer?
You can undergo your treatment abroad. Modern hospitals use a variety of ablation options, such as alcohol ablation, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, cryoablation, ultrasound ablation, and others, so that the ideal treatment method can be selected for each patient.
You can find out the cost of treatment and choose an oncology center on the Booking Health website. Our website represents the world's best hospitals. With Booking Health's support, you can compare prices in different oncology centers and choose the most suitable option. Our company's specialists will help you select the most suitable hospital and organize your trip.
The cost of treatment for you will be lower if you make your appointment through Booking Health. The lower price is due to the absence of additional fees for foreign patients.
Authors:
The article was reviewed by an expert in the field of medicine Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Vogl
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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