An estimated 39,230 new patients will be diagnosed with primary liver cancer this year. Primary liver cancer is cancer that starts in the liver and remains in the liver. Secondary liver cancer is cancer that has originated elsewhere in the body, and has spread—or metastasized—to the liver.
Our physicians treated more than 500 liver cancer patients in 2015, making SCCA home to the largest liver cancer program in the Pacific Northwest.
Primary Liver Cancer Treatment
SCCA patients who have primary liver cancer are treated through the multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Clinic at University of Washington Medical Center. Patients will have a comprehensive evaluation and will receive a treatment plan based on all available information from a collaborative team of liver tumor specialists, including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, diagnostic and interventional radiologists, liver transplant experts, and pathologists.
Our team treats cancers of the liver and related organs, including hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder carcinoma. We also offer a full spectrum of the latest treatments including surgery, including robot-assisted liver resection, radiofrequency ablation, irreversible electroporation (NanoKnife), chemoembolization, radioembolization, liver transplantation, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, including proton therapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy.
Secondary Liver Cancer Treatment
The Liver Tumor Clinic treats secondary liver cancer as well as primary liver cancer. Colorectal cancer is the most common form of liver metastases, or secondary liver cancer. Other cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma can also spread to the liver. The Liver Tumor Clinic works closely with the specialists who are treating the primary cancer to determine the best treatment plan for each patient with secondary liver cancer.
Minimally Invasive Liver Cancer Treatment
Unlike open surgery, minimally invasive surgery involves much smaller incisions and procedures are often done with robotic-assistance. These types of surgeries result in less blood loss, fewer transfusions, shorter hospital stays, faster healing times, and less post-surgical pain.
Both primary and secondary liver cancer patients can be seen by our Center for Advanced Minimally Invasive Liver Oncologic Therapy (CAMILOT) after the Liver Tumor Clinic recognizes that a patient is eligible for minimally invasive therapies. CAMILOT is the first of its kind program in the region where surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and interventional radiologists partner together to coordinate personalized care and treatments for patients eligible for minimally invasive liver therapies. CAMILOT is a holistic team approach to a patient’s treatment. Patients must first be evaluated by the Liver Tumor Clinic before they can be seen at CAMILOT.
New Treatments in Clinical Studies
SCCA was formed, in part, to bring promising new treatments to patients faster. This means more treatment options through SCCA than you might find elsewhere, including the chance to participate in one of many ongoing clinical studies conducted at SCCA and its founding organizations, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and UW Medicine.