The aim of treatment for secondary liver cancer depends on the type of primary cancer that has spread to the liver.
For some people, the aim may be to remove or destroy the cancer using surgery and chemotherapy. For others, the aim may be to shrink the cancer, manage symptoms and improve quality of life (called palliative treatment).
The types of treatment suitable for you will also depend on the size and number of tumours, and your age and general health.
The main treatment for secondary liver cancer is chemotherapy or a combination of surgery and chemotherapy.
Learn more about:
- Making treatment decisions
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy and immunotherapy
- Hormone therapy
- Radiation therapy: SIRT and SBRT
- Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)
- Tumour ablation
- Surgery
- Palliative treatment
Podcast: Making Treatment Decisions
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Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
Prof Desmond Yip, Clinical Director, Department of Medical Oncology, The Canberra Hospital, ACT; A/Prof Siddhartha Baxi, Radiation Oncologist and Medical Director, GenesisCare, Gold Coast, QLD; Prof Katherine Clark, Clinical Director of Palliative Care, NSLHD Supportive and Palliative Care Network, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW; Anne Dowling, Hepatoma Clinical Nurse Consultant and Liver Transplant Coordinator, Austin Health, VIC; A/Prof Koroush Haghighi, Liver, Pancreas and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon, Prince of Wales and St Vincent’s Hospitals, NSW; Karen Hall, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Dr Brett Knowles, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and General Surgeon, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and St Vincent’s Hospital, VIC; Lina Sharma, Consumer; A/Prof Simone Strasser, Hepatologist, AW Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The University of Sydney, NSW; David Thomas, Consumer.
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