Liver cancer (i.e. malignant liver tumors) can be divided into primary liver cancer and metastatic liver cancer.

Purpose of Surgery

• Excision, early detection and early operation can improve the chances of cure.
• The true "cause" can only be found by pathological examination.
• Only when you know where the "cause" comes from can you know what to do next after the operation.
• Only by knowing the "cause" can we understand if your family will get the same disease, and then we can have an early examination, so as not to delay the treatment.

Methods of Surgery

• Usually the attending physician will determine the surgical procedure according to patient's general health, such as whether there are abnormal functions in the heart, lung, kidney and brain, the size of the tumor, the location of the tumor, and the quality of liver function.
• General operations can be divided into right lobectomy, left lobectomy, left lateral lobectomy, hepatic segmentectomy, extensive right or left lobectomy, or regional resection (or wedge-shaped resection) of different sizes.
• If the general health condition is not good, the liver function is poor or the tumors are too large, the patient may consider receiving embolotherapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or triple therapy before the operation, and then undergoes surgery when the tumors become smaller or the health condition improves. This can increase the chance of success of the operation.

Surgical Complications

• Medical complications include pneumonia, urinary tract infections, heart or stroke attacks, and liver failure.
• Surgical complications include postoperative hemorrhage, wound hematoma or infection, intra-abdominal abscess, and bile leakage.

Postoperative Precautions

• After the operation, with the guidance of medical staff, do more deep breathing, expectoration and get out of bed early.
• Receive regular follow-up examinations and treatment as directed by the medical staff.
• There are no special limitations on home diet and health care after operation. It is advisable to eat a balanced diet with several small meals and avoid irritating foods such as tobacco, alcohol, coffee and foods with excessive fat content.
• Pay attention to the cleanliness of drinking water, do not use groundwater, mountain spring water or water from unknown sources. Tap water must be boiled before drinking.
• A blood test and abdominal ultrasound should be done every 1 to 3 months.
• When hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with cirrhosis, besides local hepatectomy, liver transplantation can be considered to solve the problem of cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis.

“Conceal one's ailment and refuse to consult the doctor” is a crucial factor in treatment failure.

Non-surgical approaches to the treatment of liver cancer include arterial embolotherapy, alcohol injection, glacial acetic acid injection, laser therapy, microwave therapy, liquid nitrogen therapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy or electrochemical therapy.

"Surgical resection" is still the most effective choice for the treatment of liver cancer. If the tumor is too large, extensive resection can be performed to reduce the "tumor burden," and the adjuvant treatment mentioned above can be used.

It is hoped that Taiwanese people will develop the habit of regular health check-ups. When liver disease or liver dysfunction is found, a treatment plan should be carefully evaluated by an experienced medical team, so as to obtain the best therapeutic effect.