LIVER METASTASES

The liver is one of the more complex organs of the human body. The liver performs multiple tasks such as securing the metabolism of nutrients and medications, the storage of glycogen, the synthesis of plasma proteins, and removing toxic substances from the blood. The liver tumor is a particularly serious condition as it damages or prevents these vital functions for the organism. As for all forms of cancer, liver neoplasias can be primary (when they originate inside the liver) and secondary (localizations of primary tumors of other organs). Due to its role of filter, the liver is one of the more common locations of metastases. In many cases, liver metastases remain asymptomatic for a long time before being identified. The best prevention remains early identification of the primary tumor and undergoing regular check-ups for potential recurrence or secondary localizations. Also, since liver metastases can develop months or years after the diagnosis of the primary tumor, liver check-ups are common for many cancers even after the therapy discontinuation. The remarkable progresses in surgical and pharmacological techniques and in the understanding of this disease have made the metastatic liver cancer increasingly treatable. However, like all metastatic and non-metastatic tumors, for liver metastases too the choice of treatment depends on many factors, including the characteristics of the disease (number, location, and size of the metastases), type of primary tumor, liver functions, and the patient’s general conditions. Patients not eligible for surgery or for other local ablation treatments can undergo stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). These treatments are available at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at San Pietro FBF.
(Source: AIRC, 2016)

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