Liver Cancer

90% of patients who have liver cancer have cirrhosis. Liver cancer is one of the last stages of liver disease. As a liver patient you should have a liver ultrasound every six months for HCC surveillance. HCC is Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

At the ultrasound appointment, the liver sonographer is always looking for liver lesions. If a suspect liver lesion is found, the liver specialist would order an MRI to investigate the lesion further, to see if is cancerous.

If the liver lesion is found to be cancerous, your liver specialist would discuss with you the options and possibly refer you to the liver surgeon for consultation about surgery options. In addition, you may be referred to a multidisciplinary doctor team that have other allied professionals to provide assistance.

Perhaps the liver surgeon can cut out the lesion. Perhaps there are radiation and chemotherapy options. There may be certain drugs that may be administered to you by the liver specialist.

There are examples of some patients in the book, where they have lived for 38 years, quite comfortably with cirrhosis, but were unlucky enough to get liver cancer, on top of the cirrhosis diagnosis.