At Englewood Health, we provide a range of treatment options for liver and bile duct cancers that are customized to the type, stage, and biology of your cancer.
Our multidisciplinary team includes specialists in medical oncology, hepatobiliary surgery, radiation therapy, interventional radiology, imaging, and supportive care, all working together to help you achieve the best possible outcome.
Surgery for Liver and Bile Duct Cancers
Surgery is often a primary treatment for liver and bile duct cancers, particularly when the cancer has not spread extensively. We perform hepatobiliary surgery using minimally invasive techniques whenever possible, operating through small incisions. Our surgeons are equally skilled at more complex open surgical procedures. Depending on your tumor’s location, size, and stage, surgical options may include:
- Liver resection: Removal of the part of the liver containing the tumor. This procedure is commonly performed when the cancer is small and confined to a specific area of the liver. Because liver tissue regenerates, your liver will grow back to its full size within weeks of liver tumor resection.
- Bile duct resection: Surgical removal of part or all of the bile duct system, sometimes combined with liver resection, to treat bile duct cancer.
- Whipple procedure: A surgery often used for cancers in the bile ducts, pancreas, or small intestine, involving the removal of parts of these organs. Our hepatobiliary surgeons have an excellent track record completing Whipple procedures.
- Lymph node removal: Involves taking out lymph nodes near the tumor to see if they contain cancer cells and to stage the cancer. This information helps guide your treatment.
Interventional Treatments for Liver and Bile Duct Cancers
Some small liver and bile duct tumors may be treated using interventional techniques that target the tumor, sparing patients from surgery. These approaches may be performed through a needle or endoscopy and include:
- Ablation: The application of intense heat (radiofrequency or microwave ablation), cold (cryoablation), or electrical pulses (electroporation) to kill cancer cells.
- Embolization: Blockage of a blood vessel that feeds a liver tumor, depleting it of the nutrients it needs to grow.
- Symptom relief: If you have uncomfortable symptoms from bile duct cancer, our doctors include experts in endoscopic procedures to relieve pain by opening up blocked bile ducts.
Medical Treatments for Liver and Bile Duct Cancer
Our Infusion Center, located on the Englewood Hospital campus, offers a comfortable and convenient experience for patients returning often for therapy. We also provide medical treatments at our Jersey City and Fair Lawn locations, including:
- Chemotherapy: Uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. We often give chemotherapy before surgery to shrink a tumor or after surgery to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back.
- Targeted therapy: Drugs that specifically target cancer cell growth mechanisms, offering a more focused approach with potentially fewer side effects. Some of these medications can be taken orally (by mouth).
- Immunotherapy: Boosts the body's immune response to find and attack cancer cells. It is used to treat people with advanced liver or bile duct cancer.
- Clinical trials: Our oncologists participate in many clinical trials evaluating promising new treatment options for liver and bile duct cancers. A clinical trial may give you access to a cutting-edge therapy that is not yet available as a standard treatment. Your care team will let you know if you may be eligible for any clinical trials. The decision to participate is entirely yours.
Radiation Therapy for Liver and Bile Duct Cancer
Englewood Health’s radiation oncology team utilizes cutting-edge technology at the Coe Radiation Oncology Center to precisely target cancerous tissue while reducing side effects by minimizing exposure to healthy surrounding areas. If radiation therapy is part of your care plan for liver or bile duct cancer, you may have:
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT): The most common form of radiation therapy, EBRT precisely targets high-energy beams to the tumor to destroy cancer cells. This treatment may be used to shrink tumors before surgery or to eliminate remaining cancer cells afterward.
- Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT): This specialized form of radiation delivers high doses with pinpoint precision over just a few treatments, focusing on the tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
- Brachytherapy: The doctor places radioactive material inside or near the tumor to deliver high-dose radiation directly to the cancer while sparing nearby tissues.
Geriatric Oncology for Liver and Bile Duct Cancer
At Englewood Health, we offer specialized care for older adults diagnosed with liver and bile duct cancer. Our team focuses on the unique needs of elderly patients, tailoring treatment plans to address both the cancer and any age-related health concerns. With a comprehensive approach that balances effective cancer treatment and maintaining quality of life, we provide personalized care that takes into account the patient's overall well-being and treatment tolerability.
Palliative Care for Liver and Bile Duct Cancer
Liver and bile duct cancer can cause unpleasant symptoms and treatment side effects. We encourage patients to work with the palliative care experts at Englewood Health as soon as possible after diagnosis. Palliative care focuses on alleviating symptoms and improving your quality of life throughout the course of cancer treatment.
Survivorship Services
After completing multidisciplinary therapy, patients are guided through a comprehensive survivorship meeting. This meeting provides an opportunity to review the treatments received and establish a personalized plan for ongoing surveillance and follow-up care. Our team will assess your current health status, discuss strategies for monitoring your recovery, and help ensure you have the necessary support for long-term well-being following liver and bile duct cancer treatment.