Treatment for secondary cancer in the liver

Treatment for secondary liver cancer usually aims to control the cancer for as long as possible and reduce any symptoms.

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About treatment for secondary liver cancer

Treatment for secondary liver cancer usually aims to control the cancer for as long as possible and reduce any symptoms.

Drug treatments that can treat cancer wherever it is in the body are often used for secondary liver cancer. They include:

There are also treatments that directly treat the tumour in the liver. They include:

Some treatments are used to relieve the symptoms of the cancer. These are called supportive or palliative treatments.

The treatment you have depends on:

  • where the cancer started (what the primary cancer is)
  • the parts of the liver that are affected
  • whether there is cancer in other parts of the body.

Chemotherapy for secondary liver cancer

Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for secondary liver cancer.

Doctors may use it:

  • to try to control the cancer
  • to relieve symptoms
  • before liver surgery, to try to shrink the cancer – this might make an operation more successful
  • after liver surgery, to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back in that area.

Targeted therapy for secondary liver cancer

Targeted therapy drugs are sometimes used to treat secondary liver cancer. They target specific things that make cancer cells different from normal cells and that help them to survive. Targeted therapy drugs may be used with other treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgery.

Immunotherapy for secondary liver cancer

Immunotherapy drugs stimulate the immune system to fight cancer cells. They are usually given on their own. They may be used if the primary cancer started:

Hormonal therapy for secondary liver cancer

Doctors sometimes use hormonal therapy. This is most common for cancer that started in the breast or prostate. But hormonal therapy drugs can also be used to treat other cancers that depend on hormones to grow.

Surgery for secondary liver cancer

Only a small number of people can have surgery for secondary liver cancer. It is usually only possible for bowel cancers or neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) that have spread to the liver. But it may sometimes be used for other types of primary cancer.

Your doctor will tell you if surgery is an option for you. For surgery to be possible, the surgeon needs to be able to remove all the cancer in the liver. There also needs to be enough liver left behind for you to stay well afterwards. Your doctor can tell you more about this.

Sometimes you may have surgery with another treatment, such as ablation. Or you may have surgery in stages.

In very rare circumstances, doctors might consider a liver transplant. This type of surgery is very complex and there are extremely strict guidelines. It is rarely suitable or possible.

Tumour ablation for secondary liver cancer

Ablation uses heat, alcohol or electrical pulses to destroy cancer cells. Doctors may use it when the cancer has spread to the liver from the bowel. It may be used for people who are not well enough for surgery.

We have more information about liver cancer ablation

Embolisation treatment for secondary liver cancer

Chemoembolisation (TACE) is when you have chemotherapy directly into a blood vessel going to the liver, and the blood supply to the tumour is cut off. Cutting off the blood supply is called embolisation. This is rarely used to treat secondary liver cancer.

Radioembolisation works in a similar way. It uses radiotherapy instead of chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells. It is sometimes called selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT). 

 

Radiotherapy for secondary liver cancer

Sometimes doctors use a type of radiotherapy that closely targets tumours in the liver. This is called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR).

Radiotherapy can also be used to ease symptoms such as pain. This is called palliative radiotherapy. You may have this treatment if the cancer has spread to another part of the body, such as the bones.

Supportive or palliative therapies

Doctors use supportive or palliative treatments to help control symptoms and improve quality of life. Your cancer doctor can refer you to a palliative care team. This includes doctors and nurses who specialise in controlling symptoms.

We have more information about coping with advanced cancer.

About our information

This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.

  • References

    Below is a sample of the sources used in our secondary liver cancer information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at  informationproductionteam@macmillan.org.uk

     

    Cervantes A, Adam R, Rosello S, et al; Metastatic colorectal cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2023 Jan;34(1):10-32. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annonc.2022.10.003. Epub 2022 Oct 25. [accessed March 2023]

     

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Metastatic malignant disease of unknown primary origin in adults: diagnosis and management. Clinical guideline [CG104]. Updated 26 April 2023. Available from: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg104 [accessed April 2023].

     

    Stewart CL, Warner S, Ito K, Raoof M, Wu GX, Kessler J, et al. Cytoreduction for colorectal metastases: liver, lung, peritoneum, lymph nodes, bone, brain. When does it palliate, prolong survival, and potentially cure? Current Problems in Surgery. 2018;55(9): 330-379. Available from: www.doi.org/10.1067/j.cpsurg.2018.08.004 [accessed March 2023].

Cancer Information Development team

Author

Dr Paul Ross SME portrait

Dr Paul Ross

Reviewer

Consultant Medical Oncologist

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Date reviewed

Reviewed: 01 November 2024
|
Next review: 01 November 2027
Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum
Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum

Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark.

This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.

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We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.


We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

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We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.


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