Liver cancer: Current practice for imaging, treatment and follow-upSponsored by an educational grant from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals
October 2008
Liver MR protocols address fibrosis threatThe apparent link between nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and certain gadolinium-containing MR contrast media has led to a tightening of procedures in radiology departments worldwide. Steps have been implemented to identify those patients who are most at risk of developing the debilitating condition, which leads to sclerodema-like skin thickening and discoloration and fibrosis of vital internal organs. Lesion identification taps new strategiesThe largest solid organ in the human body and the largest gland, the liver dominates the field of abdominal radiology. Its complex arrangements for blood supply-drawing on not one but two separate sources-only add to the challenge. Functional techniques promise fast follow-upCancer is being tackled from a host of new directions. Traditional methods of curing and controlling malignancy through surgery, systemic chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are no longer the only story. The development of targeted drug therapies and innovative interventional procedures is expanding oncologists' armamentarium considerably. The era of individually tailored treatment plans may be just around the corner. Optimal planning aids avoidance of vesselsThe complexity of the liver can make the removal of pathology difficult. The organ's dual blood supply gives it many vascular structures to avoid. So when surgery is planned, practitioners must have a good idea what they are tackling beforehand. Interventional options open palliative avenuesThe options available for treating focal liver disease are expanding. For patients with advanced disease who are seeking temporary relief rather than restoration of full health, or those who want a downstaging solution to make them eligible for surgery, interventional radiologists have plenty to offer.
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