Collaborative approach to liver cancer treatment
Liver cancer, a type of cancer that forms in the liver cells, requires specialized expertise. At Penn Medicine, you have a team of top liver cancer experts and support professionals by your side. Our gastrointestinal cancer specialists treat all types of primary and metastatic liver cancer and are among the most experienced in the greater Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Princeton regions.
Because liver cancer cells can be unpredictable, a collaborative approach from multiple experts and a combination of therapies are necessary. These may include sophisticated surgeries and advanced cancer-fighting drugs. By using advanced medicine to understand cancer at the genetic level, we tailor a customized treatment plan specifically for you.
Liver cancer treatment at Penn Medicine
Treatment usually involves more than one therapy, such as liver cancer surgery plus chemotherapy. Our specialists design a hepatic cancer treatment plan to fit your circumstances and preferences, using the most up-to-date methods. Your care team may recommend one or more of the following liver cancer treatments.
Additional treatment options for liver cancer
In certain instances, your provider may discuss other liver cancer treatment options, including clinical trials or alternative therapies.
Penn Medicine clinical trials give you access to promising therapies and treatment combinations. Our medical oncologists are engaged in a variety of clinical trials for liver cancer, including immunotherapy trials. The goal of this work is to create the next new treatment for liver cancer.
While not a cure for liver cancer, certain complementary or alternative treatments might offer relief from symptoms. For example, studies suggest that acupuncture could help alleviate nausea, vomiting, and certain types of pain associated with cancer. However, it’s important to talk with your provider before starting complementary or alternative liver cancer therapy because some treatments, like herbal remedies, may interact with your medications.
Enhancing your well-being with all-inclusive care
Your quality of life matters to us. We provide a full range of cancer supportive care services focused on improving your well-being and overcoming obstacles during treatment. From nutrition education to smoking cessation to family counseling, we offer a wide range of support to help you and your loved ones. Additionally, our follow-up plan allows your care team to monitor changes that may signal a potential cancer recurrence, ensuring prompt intervention and ongoing care.
Penn Medicine: Expert care for liver cancer
We have decades of experience treating all types of liver cancers, including advanced and complex cases. When you come to Penn Medicine for liver cancer treatment, you can expect:
- Intensive collaboration: Effective liver cancer treatment requires input from several specialists. Your care team may include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, hepatologists, and others—such as our liver transplant team—who customize care based on your needs.
- Advanced treatments: You’ll have access to specialized liver cancer treatments, such as proton therapy, hepatic artery infusion pumps, and liver transplants, which aren’t available at other centers in the southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey regions.
- Surgical expertise: If surgery is part of your treatment plan, you can rest assured that Penn Medicine is home to some of the nation’s top liver surgeons. We have an impressive track record of performing intricate surgeries and liver transplants to successfully remove difficult-to-treat liver tumors.
- Unwavering support: We get to know you on a personal level and provide answers, education, and a listening ear. Our entire team wants to help you thrive.
- Convenient access to experts: Close coordination across Penn Medicine locations makes it easy to receive expert care close to home.
Rated “exceptional” by The National Cancer Institute
Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center is a world leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. Our status as a national leader in cancer care is reflected in our continuous designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 1973, one of 7 such centers in the United States. The ACC is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, one of a select few cancer centers in the U.S., that are working to promote equitable access to high-quality, advanced cancer care.