Liver Surgery
Types of surgery for liver cancer
Surgery gives the best chance of curing primary liver cancer. There are different types of surgery for early liver cancer. These are:
- removal of part of the liver (liver resection or lobectomy)
- liver transplant
Who can have surgery for primary liver cancer?
Surgery might be an option for you if:
- the cancer is only in one part of your liver, and
- it has not spread to other parts of your body
You might have blood tests to see how well your liver is working. The liver is a very important organ. So the part of the liver left behind after surgery needs to work well enough to keep you healthy. Blood test results help your doctor decide if surgery is a suitable treatment for you.
If you have cirrhosis you might not have enough healthy liver for the body to cope with removing part of it. In this situation, you might have a liver transplant or other treatments.
Liver resection and lobectomy
Removing cancer and the surrounding tissues in your liver are called a resection. Your surgeon is only likely to consider a resection if:
- the cancer is small
- your liver is healthy
- cancer hasn’t grown into the blood vessels
Your surgeon might remove a lobe of your liver. This is called a lobectomy or Hemi hepatectomy. The liver can grow back and work normally if you don’t have any underlying problems, such as cirrhosis.
A type of liver cancer called fibrolamellar cancer is more likely to develop in people without liver disease. This means that surgery is often possible for these people.