Cost of Liver cancer treatment in India

Cost of Liver cancer surgery in India-3000 USD/ 210000 INR onwards depending upon the stage of cancer

Stay in hospital – 2 to 4 days, Total stay in India – 12 days  

Cost of Liver cancer chemotherapy in India–250 USD/17000 INR onwards

Stay in Hospital – 1 day for each cycle, also chemotherapy for liver cancer can be prescribed orally without any injections or admission depending upon the patient’s condition  

Cost of Radiotherapy for Liver cancer treatment in India– 1800 USD/ 126000 INR 

Stay in India – 4 to 6 weeks, no stay in Hospital is required for radiotherapy

Inclusions in above cost for surgery:

• Liver cancer surgery

  

• Hospital stay for patient and attendant (2 to 4 days)

• Routine pre -operative Investigations

• Meals for patient and attendant

• Medicines and

• consumables during admission

• Tumor(Cancer) board discussion

• Travel & visa assistance

 

Overview

Our liver is one of the most important organs in the human body located in the right upper part of the abdomen just beneath the diaphragm. The liver performs a wide spectrum of functions which include maintaining and regulating the storage of glycogen, production of hormones, plasma proteins, RBC decomposition, detoxification and most importantly production of bile that helps in digestion.

Liver Cancer

There are mainly two types of Liver cancer:

1. Primary Liver Cancer: Cancer that originates in the liver cells itself is called Primary liver cancer. There are two types of primary liver cancer:

• Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) – HCC is the most common type of liver cancer and starts from the main cells of the liver. People who are affected by liver cirrhosis are most prone to have HCC.
• Cholangiocarcinoma - This type of liver cancer starts in the cells lining the bile duct and Angiosarcoma, this is a very rare liver cancer starting in the blood vessels.

2. Secondary Liver Cancer: cancer that  originates in the other parts of the body but then spread to the liver (known as metastasis)  

Symptoms of Liver Cancer

Initially, your liver cancer does not produce any signs and symptoms but when they appear, it includes

• weight loss,
• loss of appetite,
• pain in the upper abdomen,
• generalized weakness and fatigue,
• nausea, vomiting,
• yellow discolouration of skin and eyes(jaundice)
• abdominal swelling etc.

 

Stages Of Liver Cancer

Once the liver cancer is diagnosed, it is important to know the stage of cancer to plan appropriate treatment to get out of it in time. There are 4 stages of liver cancer. Stage I: Single cancer tumor confined to the liver and has not spread to other parts. Stage II: Cancer with either single tumor that has spread to blood vessels or multiple tumors of less than 5 cm that has not invaded blood vessels. Stage III: It has 3 sub-stages:

• Stage III A: cancer with more than single tumor having a size of more than 5 cm but has not spread to lymph nodes or other parts
• Stage III B: In this stage, Cancer has spread to either hepatic or portal vein but has not invaded lymph nodes or any other parts.
• Stage III C: In this stage, Cancer has spread to adjacent organs like gall bladder but has not spread to lymph nodes.

Stage IV: 2 sub-stages:

• Stage IV, A: Cancer with more than one tumor of variable size that has spread to blood vessels, lymph nodes and adjacent organs of the liver but has not affected other body parts.
• Stage IV, B:  In this stage, Cancer of variable size which has spread to  your blood vessels and organs nearby the liver. It may or may not have invaded the lymph nodes but has spread to other organs like lungs and bones.

Causes of Liver Cancer

Cancer occurs when DNA of the cells undergo mutation and these mutated cells then grow without control in an abnormal way giving rise to the tumor. The exact cause of liver cancer is unknown but like other cancers, there are certain risk factors that may lead to cause liver cancer. These are;

• A chronic infection caused by HBV or HCV virus
• Liver cirrhosis
• An inherited liver disease like Wilson's disease and hemochromatosis
• Diabetes
• Overweight and obesity
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Fatty liver disease

Treatment options

Surgery:

Liver surgery in India is the most commonly performed procedure for liver cancer. There are mainly two types of surgical procedures:

• Partial hepatectomy: This surgery is indicated only in cases of small tumor and when the liver functions are good. During the procedure, only the tumor and the small portion of the healthy tissue around the tumor is excised as the liver has the tendency to regrow.
• Liver transplant surgery: Liver transplant is the procedure to remove the diseased liver and replacing it with a healthy and normally functioning liver from the donor.This is usually performed in stage 1 cancer only depending upon case to case.

Non-surgical procedures:

Cryoablation(a process that uses extreme cold to destroy tissue): This entails killing the cancerous cells using an instrument called cryoprobe that delivers nitrogen which freezes and kills the cells. Radio Frequency ablation: This procedure includes insertion of the needles to reach tumor through a small incision in the abdomen and then heating the needle at very high temperature with an electric current to destroy the targeted cancerous cells. Chemoembolization.: Strong anticancer drugs are injected in the hepatic artery which is then blocked so as to cut the blood supply to the cancer cells which makes them shrink and ultimately die. This procedure is often called chemoembolization. Radiation therapy: This Procedure is performed  using the high powered energy beams, the cancer cells are targeted to shrink and die. The new advanced technique called stereotactic radiotherapy can be used to treat liver cancer. Targeted drug therapy: The drugs that interfere with the tumor function and inhibit the advancing spread of carcinoma are used to control cancer. Sorafenib is one such drug. Chemotherapy : Chemotherapy is often given to liver cancer patients .The dosage and duration of chemotherapy depends upon type and stage of liver cancer.

Diagnosis

An early liver cancer diagnosis momentously improves the chances of survival of patient. In this Procedure, a doctor will, first of all, ask questions about medical history to rule out any potential risk factors for liver cancer. They will then give a physical examination, focusing on any swelling in the abdomen and any yellow colouring in the whites of the eyes. These are both strong indicators of liver problems. If these signs are detected , if a doctor suspects a liver cancer diagnosis, they will run further tests, including:

• Blood tests: These will include tests to see how the blood clots, check levels of other substances in the blood and measure the proportions of red and white blood cells and platelets.
• Tests for viral hepatitis: The doctor will check for the presence of hepatitis B and C in your blood.
• Imaging scans: Either an MRI or CT scan can show the size and spread of cancer.
• Biopsy: A small sample of tumor tissue is removed and analyzed from infected region. The analysis can reveal whether the tumor is cancerous or non-cancerous.
• Laparoscopy: This is a surgical procedure under general or local anaesthetic. During this procedure , a long flexible tube with a camera attached is inserted through the abdomen. This allows the doctor to observe the liver and the surrounding area.

Once the doctor has assessed the stage, location, and type of liver cancer, according to their observations they will be able to decide the likelihood of safely and effectively curing it. This will dictate the course of treatment.  

Studies show that cancer (and other) patients who arm themselves with information typically fare better and experience fewer side

 

effects than those who simply follow doctors' orders, no questions

• In recent years, the rates of cancer survival have increased significantly over time, but it can be hard to feel hopeful when you have just been diagnosed with cancer.
• Worrying about the future is natural. Treatments are improving constantly, and even if the cancer can't be controlled, symptoms can be relieved to make life more comfortable.
• However, if detected at an early stage the Cancer can also be cured.
• It can be very confronting to think about your own mortality, even if the outlook for your type of cancer is reassuring and curable.
• Talk to your Oncologist about what the diagnosis means for you and what the future may hold.
• If you've been told the cancer is advanced, you may find it harder to feel hopeful but, in some cases, advanced cancer can be controlled for many years.