Stage 4 liver cancer treatment options
Liver cancer at stage 4 is incurable. However, medication can help control its symptoms and development.
The course of treatment will be heavily influenced by the disease’s stage and the general health of the patient.
There are three different classifications for liver cancer, each of which will determine the potential course of treatment:
- Possibility of resection or transplant.
- Advanced cancer.
- Cancer that is incurable and has not gone beyond the liver.
Medications
Since stage 4 liver cancer is an advanced type, only a few therapies may be available. For instance, stage 4 patients often cannot receive a liver transplant. A stage 4 tumor is likely not susceptible to surgery to remove portions of the liver (such as a segmentectomy or partial hepatectomy).
In most instances, the therapy administered will involve drugs as well as treatments to relieve symptoms including pain, nausea, and appetite loss.
Using drugs that stimulate the patient’s immune system is one type of treatment for stage 4 liver cancer. This is known as immunotherapy. Stage 4 liver cancer may be treated with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and Avastin (bevacizumab) as the first lines of treatment.
Tecentriq is a medication that can improve the body’s natural immune system’s ability to fight cancer. It could be used with another medication called Avastin, a monoclonal antibody. These drugs are administered intravenously (by infusion) on a regimen that can last for two to four weeks.
Radiation therapy.
Another option for stage 4 liver cancer treatment is the utilization of high-energy particles. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and external beam radiation treatment (EBRT) are two possibilities.
EBRT is like an X-ray. The operation just takes a few minutes, but it might need to be performed every day for a few weeks. The more advanced treatment method known as SBRT may aid in maintaining healthy liver tissue.