What is palliative surgery for liver cancer?

Sep 22, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Gao Jun

Introduction

In general, palliative surgery for liver cancer is a surgical approach aimed at patients with unresectable tumors, focusing on symptom relief, improvement of quality of life, and prolongation of survival. It does not aim for complete tumor removal, but rather addresses urgent or life-impacting problems caused by the tumor. Palliative surgery serves as an important treatment option for patients with advanced liver cancer or those who are medically unfit for curative surgery.

Generally, palliative surgery for liver cancer is a surgical approach aimed at patients with unresectable tumors, focusing on symptom relief, improved quality of life, and prolonged survival. It does not aim for complete tumor removal, but rather targets urgent or life-impacting complications caused by the tumor. Detailed analysis is as follows:

Palliative liver cancer surgery is primarily indicated in two scenarios. First, when the tumor has extensively invaded the liver—such as multifocal lesions, invasion of major blood vessels, or distant metastases—making curative resection impossible. Second, when the patient's overall health is poor, such as those with severe cirrhosis or compromised cardiopulmonary function, who cannot tolerate radical surgery. Surgical procedures are symptom-oriented and commonly include local tumor ablation techniques like radiofrequency or microwave ablation to destroy part of the tumor tissue, hepatic arterial chemoembolization, biliary stent placement, and variceal band ligation for esophageal and gastric varices.

The key value of these procedures lies in palliative symptom reduction rather than tumor cure. They can effectively alleviate symptoms such as pain, jaundice, and bleeding, help patients maintain basic daily functioning, and create favorable conditions for subsequent treatments such as targeted therapy or immunotherapy.

Therefore, palliative surgery for liver cancer is an important treatment option for patients with advanced disease or those unfit for curative surgery. Although it cannot eradicate the tumor, it significantly improves quality of life and buys time for comprehensive treatment strategies. Its implementation should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team based on the individual patient’s clinical condition.

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Will primary liver cancer recur after being cured?

In general, whether primary liver cancer will recur after treatment depends on the disease stage. The recurrence rate is relatively low for early-stage primary liver cancer after successful treatment, whereas it is higher for intermediate and advanced stages, requiring long-term monitoring of disease changes. In daily care, patients must strictly follow medical advice to undergo regular follow-up examinations, including monitoring of liver function, tumor markers, and imaging findings.

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Do all liver cancer patients have hepatitis?

In general, not all liver cancers are associated with hepatitis. Some liver cancer patients have a history of hepatitis, while others do not have any hepatitis-related issues; the specific situation should be determined based on the causes of liver cancer. It is important to maintain liver health in daily life. Individuals with a history of hepatitis should follow medical advice for standardized treatment and undergo regular check-ups of liver function and liver ultrasound. Those without hepatitis should avoid alcohol consumption, control body weight, and refrain from eating moldy food.

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Can liver cancer cause cirrhosis?

In general, whether liver cancer causes cirrhosis depends on the specific medical condition. In most cases, liver cancer itself does not directly cause cirrhosis; however, certain types of liver cancer that share common causative factors with cirrhosis or damage liver structure may be associated with cirrhosis. To prevent both liver cancer and cirrhosis, it is important to avoid long-term alcohol consumption, staying up late, and other liver-damaging behaviors in daily life, and to undergo regular liver examinations.

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Can patients with liver cancer eat cantaloupe?

In general, patients with liver cancer can eat cantaloupe, but it is not recommended to consume it in large amounts. The rind should be thoroughly washed before eating to remove any residual impurities. It is advisable to choose cantaloupes with moderate ripeness and avoid those that are underripe, overripe, or spoiled. Intake should be controlled—100–150 grams per serving is sufficient, as excessive consumption may cause bloating.