Ablation or radiotherapy

Hi Perfavore,

Thanks for getting in touch. I’m Eileen one of the Cancer Information Nurses on the support line.

I’m sorry to hear about the return of the small tumour in your liver and can appreciate your concerns about having a general anaesthetic given your other medical issues.

Ablation destroys the tumour by applying heat, cold or alcohol directly to the tumour. Liver tumour ablation may be used to treat small tumours, usually smaller than 4cm across. Liver tumour ablation is usually performed under general anaesthetic.

Percutaneous ethanol injection is another form of ablation that is undertaken in a scanning department under a local anaesthetic. An ultrasound scan is used to guide the area where the needle will be introduced, and pure alcohol (ethanol) is injected into the tumour. People sometimes need more than one treatment depending on the size of the tumour area. Tumour ablation may be undertaken again if a tumour recurs.

Side effects following any form of ablation are usually mild but may last up to a week afterwards. They can include pain/tenderness over the liver area, tiredness, feeling generally unwell and a fever. The side effects are usually due to the body getting rid of the cancer cells. A very high temperature in the days following the procedure could be a sign of infection.

There are various forms of radiotherapy that might be used to treat secondary liver cancer. These include conventional external beam radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy which is a very targeted treatment and selective internal radiotherapy.

Please be assured that your doctor will follow best practice guidelines when planning your treatment and will consider all the information they have about your cancer and medical history to determine what options are most suitable for you. As your hospital treatment team have access to your medical records, they are best placed to discuss which form of treatment will be most appropriate for you. They will also discuss the risks and benefits of any treatment they suggest.

I do hope this information is helpful.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get back in touch. You can speak with the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or email us. 

Best wishes,

Eileen

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

Ref : IY