The diagnostic uses of ultrasound in liver cancer are well established. Ultrasound plays a key role in surveillance, biopsy and, increasingly, in characterisation, with the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). The treatment of liver cancer using ultrasound is perhaps less well appreciated. Ultrasound is used in the treatment of liver cancer in two ways: firstly […]
Dr Peter Littler, Dr Benjamin Stenberg
Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne
Approximately 80% of cirrhotic patients with locoregional hepatoma cannot be managed surgically and are classified as unresectable. Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, includes a multitude of locoregional therapies that can variously be used with curative or non-curative intent. These therapies are known to increase overall survival and disease-free survival in those patients for whom […]
Dr Pawan Patel, Jonathan Gabriel, Arpan Patel
St George's Hospital, London
Liver malignancies include primary liver cancer (hepato-cellular carcinoma [HCC], cholangiocarcinoma) and liver metastases. The incidence of primary liver cancer is increasing in the UK and in the last decade the incidence rates of HCC have increased by 60% with mortality increasing at a similar pace. Surgical resection and transplantation (for HCC) are traditionally regarded as […]
Dr Maria Hawkins, Dr Sean O'Cathail
MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in women and the third most common cancer in men; around 21% of patients have liver metastases at presentation and up to 60% of patients may develop them during their disease course. Surgical resection of the affected portion of the liver offers the best chance for […]
Dr Amir Helmy, Dr Teik Choon See
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Liver metastases are the leading cause of death from colorectal cancer (CRC) with a median survival of 19 months when treated with chemotherapy. The increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and the poor outcomes for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) also add to the clinical need to develop effective liver-directed treatment strategies. Surgical approaches have led to prolonged […]
Professor Ricky Sharma, Dr Helen Winter, Dr Phil Boardman, Mr Darren Morgan, Dr Tessa Greenhalgh
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust