Surgical resection is the only treatment that offers long-term cure for liver tumours — whether primary liver cancer (HCC, cholangiocarcinoma) or liver metastases from colorectal, neuroendocrine, or other GI cancers. Many patients told their liver tumour is inoperable are successfully resected at specialist centres.
The liver is the most common site of distant metastases for GI cancers — and also the site of primary liver cancers arising from hepatocytes and bile duct cells. Each type has a different cause, biology, and treatment strategy. The common thread is that surgical resection remains the only curative option — and more patients are resectable than many realise.
The extent of liver resection depends on the number, size, and location of tumours — and the critical requirement of leaving an adequate functional Future Liver Remnant (FLR). The liver has remarkable regenerative capacity — a normal liver regenerates to full volume within 4–6 weeks after major resection.
For patients who cannot undergo hepatectomy — due to inadequate FLR, multiple bilateral tumours, or underlying liver disease — several effective locoregional and systemic treatments can control disease, convert unresectable to resectable, and significantly prolong survival.
Accurate staging and surgical planning determines whether resection is safe and achievable. The key investigations — particularly CT volumetry for FLR and PET-CT for CRLM — must be done before any surgical decision.
Bring your MRI liver, CT scan (triphasic for HCC, full staging for CRLM), PET-CT if done, CEA/AFP/CA 19-9 blood tests, and any previous chemotherapy records. Dr. Gore will review the imaging and give an honest assessment of resectability — including FLR volumetry, chemotherapy conversion options, and the complete treatment plan.