Doctors and researchers are continuously working to find new ways to prevent, detect and treat liver cancers.
Some of the latest research includes:
- Biomarkers to provide information about how aggressive the cancer is or how likely it is to respond to a particular treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute.
- Gene therapy from University of California Davis.
- A new study published in the journal, Nature, shows how blocking one molecule called fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5) can inhibit liver tumor progression.
These are just a few of the latest studies.
And while research continues to lead to new discoveries, if you are facing liver cancer now, you want the best treatment for you.
That treatment may include CyberKnife — a system that uses missile-guided radiation technology to target tumors and kill liver tumors with pinpoint accuracy.
CyberKnife delivers radiation directly to the tumor, leaving the vital healthy tissue surrounding the tumor unharmed. With CyberKnife, patients often need a shorter course of treatment because it delivers a higher dose of targeted radiation. And if there is a recurrence, the area many times can be treated again.
That said, surgery to cut the tumor or tumors out is often the go to treatment for liver cancer. It is called resection.
“If you’re talking about primary liver cancer, you can respect that is the best thing to do because the liver can regenerate itself,” says Dr. Mark Pomper, board-certified radiation oncologist and medical director of the CyberKnife Center of Miami.
But if it’s a large tumor, and surgery would mean losing too much of your liver, then radiation therapy should be considered says Dr. Pomper, “I would look at CyberKnife as the next choice because you can kill a large tumor with targeted radiation, and at the same time you minimize damage done to the normal liver tissue surrounding the tumor, which is vital because you’re saving as much of the liver as possible, giving it a chance to regenerate.”
The liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate itself.
CyberKnife Miami regularly treats liver cancer patients with CyberKnife and has been doing so for more than 20 years.
“If you’re talking about liver metastases, which means tumors that have spread to the liver from another type of cancer in the body, then CyberKnife is an ideal option,” says Dr. Pomper.
Liver Cancer CyberKnife Treatment
CyberKnife is also an option for those who cannot undergo surgery or do not want to, and those whose tumors cannot be 100% removed with surgery, according to Accuray, the maker of CyberKnife.
CyberKnife is FDA-approved to treat liver cancer and as of 2001, it is covered by Medicare and many private insurance companies.
CyberKnife “has emerged as a ground-breaking treatment option — showing promising efficacy with low toxicity for primary liver cancer (e.g., hepatocellular carcinoma) and metastatic liver tumors.
Additionally, the CyberKnife System can also be used as a bridge to transplantation,” according to Accuray.
Unlike surgery, most patients can keep up with their normal activities during and after CyberKnife treatments. There is no downtime. General side effects are most often minimal and short-lived. They may include nausea, weakness, lethargy, liver pain, slower liver function or rib pain.
Medications can help control side effects if they occur, so be sure to ask your radiation oncologist about what to take just in case it should happen.
“Despite the higher dose of radiation associated with SBRT, the efficacy of the CyberKnife System for primary liver cancer is equivalent to surgery with milder adverse events. The ability to adapt to motion and deliver precise doses of radiation enables clinicians to minimize radiation to healthy liver and surrounding organs at risk and to reduce toxicity,” CyberKnife’s website states.
A study of 75 liver cancer patients who were treated with CyberKnife showed that 89.8% of patients showed no cancer progression outside the liver two years after treatment. The survival rate at the one-year follow-up was 78.5% and 50.4% at the two-year mark.
Liver Cancer CyberKnife Treatment in Miami
CyberKnife Miami was the first CyberKnife center to open in the Southeastern United States, and we regularly see liver cancer patients. We are here to help you too.
If you are interested in how the experts at CyberKnife Miami can help you with your liver cancer diagnosis or treatment, give us a call at 305-279-2900 or go to our website now for more information www.cyberknifemiami.com.