illinois cyberknife: liver cancer treatment overview

1700 Luther Lane, Ste. 110, Park Ridge IL 60068 847-723-0100 IllinoisCK.com

A liver cancer diagnosis can be scary. Learn more about liver cancer and how we can help. Please note: We encourage consumers to thoroughly review and understand all treatment op8ons. The informa8on presented here is not all-‐inclusive. Rather, it represents a star8ng point to learn more about medical condi8ons and treatment op8ons. There is no subs,tute for consul,ng a medical professional.


About Liver Cancer The liver is the largest internal organ. It lies under your right ribs just beneath your right lung. It is shaped like a pyramid and divided into right and le9 lobes which are further divided into segments. The liver gets blood from the hepa=c artery and the portal vein and is made up of mainly hepatocyte cells. The different types of cells in the liver can for several types of malignant and benign tumors.


Primary Liver Cancer A cancer that starts in the liver is called primary liver cancer. About 21,000 Americans are diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year and is twice as common in men than in women. Here are types of primary liver cancer:

•  Hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatocellular cancer) •  Intrahepa=c cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) •  Angiosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma •  Hepatoblastoma


Metasta<c Liver Cancer Metasta=c, or secondary, liver cancer is the most common form of liver cancer. Most liver cancer cases treated at Illinois CyberKnife are metasta=c. Metasta=c cancer is cancer that has spread from its original site to another place in the body. The most common sites of cancer metastasis are the liver, bone and lung. Virtually all cancers can form metasta=c tumors. Illinois CyberKnife physicians Drs. Arica Hirsch, James Ruffer, Patrick Sweeney and Majid Mohiuddin recently published a protocol for pa=ents with colorectal cancer and limited liver metastasis. The protocol outlines the possibility for a cura=ve outcome for some pa=ents who experience liver metastases.


http://www.cancer.org/cancer/livercancer/detailedguide/liver-cancer-what-is-liver-cancer

Risk Factors of Liver Cancer There is no single cause of liver cancer, though there are several known risk factors: •  Gender – Seen more o9en in men. •  Age – Risks generally increase for older men. •  Race – Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a higher risk for unknown reasons followed by American Indians/Alaska Na=ves and Hispanic/La=nos, African Americans and whites.

•  Na<onality – much more common in countries in sub-‐Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia


Risk Factors of Liver Cancer

•  Cirrhosis •  Chronic viral hepa==s •  Heavy alcohol use •  Obesity •  Type 2 diabetes •  Inherited metabolic diseases •  Alfatoxins •  Arsenic •  Infec=on with parasites


For full descrip=ons of these risk factors, click here.

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/livercancer/detailedguide/liver-cancer-risk-factors

What are symptoms of liver cancer? Signs and symptoms of liver cancer o9en do not show up un=l the later stages of the disease. Most common symptoms are:

•  Weight loss (without trying) •  Loss of appe=te •  Feeling very full a9er a small meal •  Nausea or vomi=ng •  An enlarged liver, felt as a mass under ribs on the right side •  An enlarged spleen, felt as a mass under the ribs on the le9 side •  Pain in the abdomen or near the right shoulder blade •  Swelling or fluid build-‐up in the abdomen •  Itching •  Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

Chronic hepa==s or cirrhosis are also common causes which may cause the person to feel worse than usual or have a change in lab results.



How does CyberKnife treat liver cancer? Prior to stereotac=c body radiosurgery treatment with CyberKnife, small =ssue markers known as fiducials are implanted in the liver to help the CyberKnife pinpoint the tumor loca=on throughout each treatment, so the radia=on beams can be locked on the tumor. About a week later, pa=ents are fi]ed with a custom body mold of so9 material that they lie on during treatments. The fi^ng process is painless. The treatment process includes: I.  Consulta=on appointment II.  Pretreatment procedures III.  CyberKnife treatment IV.  Follow-‐up

http://www.slideshare.net/Illinoiscyberknife/illinois-cyberknife

Consulta<on and Pretreatment Procedures Illinois CyberKnife physicians, therapists and nurses are focused on your individualized treatment plan: •  You will meet an Illinois CyberKnife radia=on oncologist

to decide if CyberKnife treatment is appropriate for your diagnosis.

•  Your CyberKnife team will decide which pretreatment

procedures you may need to help develop your treatment plan. These could include a CT scan, an MRI, laboratory studies or =ssue markers.

•  The data from your pretreatment procedures will be

used by the CyberKnife team to determine the exact size, shape and loca=on of your tumor.

•  This informa=on will indicate the size of the area being treated with radia=on, the radia=on dose and cri=cal structures where radia=on exposure should be minimized.


CyberKnife Treatment Typically treatment is completed within five sessions. On the day of your treatment: 1.  A therapist will help you onto the treatment table

and fit the body mold. Pa=ents are observed throughout the treatment on closed-‐circuit television, and they can pause treatment at any =me by waving or speaking to the technicians.

2.  While the CyberKnife’s advanced tracking system accounts for movements like breathing, you’re asked to lie s=ll during treatments. The system periodically takes x-‐ray images and compares them to the CT scan data to make sure the radia=on beam is locked on the tumor.

3.  Pa=ents can usually return to their normal rou=nes once the treatment is complete.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION •  Treatment procedures take about 30 – 90

minutes, depending on the complexity of your tumor.

•  Pa=ents are asked to wear comfortable clothing during CyberKnife treatments. Jewelry is acceptable unless it is close to the area being treated.

•  Feel free to bring an iPod® or your favorite music CDs with you on the day of your treatment, and we will play them for you during the procedure.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao1fx-MEWTk

Addi<onal Resources


http://www.liverfoundation.org/

http://www.cancer.org/

http://www.cancer.gov

http://www.cancercare.org

Our Center

Illinois CyberKnife is a department of Advocate Lutheran General Hospital’s renowned Cancer Care Center located in the Center for Advanced Care on the hospital’s campus. Our doctors are board-‐cer=fied in radia=on oncology and have several areas of specialty including head and neck cancers, prostate cancer and lung cancer.

Connect with us


https://www.youtube.com/user/illinoisck

https://www.flickr.com/photos/illinoiscyberknife/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/illinois-cyberknife

http://www.illinoisck.com/our-center/news-events/

illinois cyberknife: liver cancer treatment overview

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