Liver Tumor. Doctors ONLY answer.?

Question

I'm writing a medical drama and one of the patients has a tumor in the top right part of her liver. How is it removed? What is the operation called? I want the whole 9 yards. Thanks.

The patient is an eleven year old female, 5'0, and no record of serious diseases or conditions in the past.

The patient is an eleven year old female, 5'0, and no record of serious diseases or conditions in the past. The tumor is small and benign, but could turn malignant if not treated.

Answer 1

How did the patient present? What symptoms did she have and what did the doctor find on physical examination? If she has a small tumor, no one will know that it was there.

How was she worked up? What did the imaging studies (ultrasound? CT? MRI? CT guided biopsy?) show?

In terms of imaging of the primary tumor, MRI is the preferred modality. Nicer, too, not so much radiation exposure.

What were the results of the pathology of the biopsy or frozen section (the pediatric surgeons did know enough to do a biopsy, didn't they?)?

Options for malignant tumors in the liver include:

Embryonal sarcoma
Biliary rhabdomyosarcoma
Angiosarcoma
Mesenchymal hamartoma
Metastatic neuroblastoma & other metastases
Lymphoma
Leukemia

Nonmalignant tumors would include regenerative hepatic nodules, vascular tumors (hemangiomas) and I think I've also seen an extralobar pulmonary sequestration in the liver as well.

If the tumor is small and benign, the surgeons will leave it. It may be, even if it is malignant, they will leave it, treat the tumor with chemotherapy, then go in.

The surgery? Hmm. Hepatic resection. Reference below. Good luck with your writing! Wlitan

Answer 2

Specific treatment for liver hepatoma will be determined by your physician based on:

your age,
overall health,
and medical history

extent of the disease
your tolerance of specific medicines, procedures, or therapies
expectations for the course of the disease
your opinion or preference
Treatment may include:

surgery
Surgery may be necessary to remove cancerous tissue, as well as nearby noncancerous tissue. Total surgical removal of the liver lobe or removal of segments of the liver may be performed. Surgery to remove part of the liver is called partial hepatectomy.


external radiation (external beam therapy)
External radiation is a treatment therapy that precisely sends high levels of radiation directly to the cancer cells. The machine is controlled by the radiation therapist. Since radiation is used to kill cancer cells, special shields may be used to protect the tissue surrounding the treatment area. Radiation treatments are painless and usually last a few minutes. If the liver cancer is more advanced, radiation may be used to shrink the size of the tumor and to provide relief from symptoms.


chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to treat cancerous cells. In most cases, chemotherapy works by interfering with the cancer cell’s ability to grow or reproduce. Different groups of drugs work in different ways to fight cancer cells. The oncologist will recommend a treatment plan for each individual.


intra-arterial chemotherapy - chemotherapy is delivered directly to the liver tumor by injecting the anticancer drugs into an artery that supplies the liver.


chemoembolization - the blood supply to the liver tumor is blocked surgically or mechanically and anticancer drugs are given directly into the tumor. This allows a higher concentration of an anticancer drug to be in contact with the tumor for a longer period of time.


radiofrequency ablation
A special probe is used to kill the cancer cells with heat. The physician may insert the probe through the skin, using local anesthesia, or it may be inserted though a small incision in the abdomen, using general anesthesia. Laser and microwave therapy are other treatment therapies that use heat to destroy tumors in the liver.


liver transplantation
A liver transplantation may be a surgical option for a few patients.

Answer 3

Primary liver cancer is rare (as opposed to metastases that migrate from another cancer in the body) and is not usually amenable to surgery as it diffuses throughout the liver cells.