The incidence of liver cancer in the United States is increasing and will continue to increase over the next 10 to 20 years.
Patients with underlying liver disease due to conditions including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, alcohol and obesity are at increased risk.
The good news is that liver cancer is now curable in over 90% of patients if it is diagnosed and treated early. It is important to know that there are still many good treatments for even more advanced cancers, though they may not provide a cure. The only way to diagnose liver cancer early is to screen on a regular basis with blood tests and imaging studies.
The Comprehensive Liver Center at Hartford Hospital specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease including liver cancer.
All patients with liver disease seen in The Comprehensive Liver Center are assessed for cancer risk and placed in regular screening programs if appropriate.
Once a cancer is diagnosed, patients are scheduled for evaluation in the Multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Clinic which is part of the Comprehensive Liver Center and includes the same group of health care providers. This clinic is a joint venture between the Comprehensive Liver Center and the Helen & Harry Gray Cancer Center.
Our focus is to bring together specialist from all different fields including Oncologists, Liver Surgeons, Interventional Radiologists and Hepatologists (Liver Doctor) to provide state of the art, compassionate care for a patient with liver cancer.
Our goal is to have an initial evaluation including imaging studies, laboratory work and health care visits in the same day leading to a diagnosis and treatment plan that day. A letter summarizing the Clinic visit and treatment recommendations is sent to both your referring and primary care physicians.
Treatment
Treatment for Liver Cancer depends on the size and number of the liver cancers and if there is involvement of the blood vessels of the liver, lymph nodes or other organs.
There are now many options to treat liver cancer which can be given alone or in combinations. Your Hepatologist will help monitor your treatment course and take care of any problems related to your liver disease.