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Diagnosis, Imaging and Staging of Liver Cancer |
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In order to diagnosis liver cancer, your physician will take your medical history and provide a complete physical exam. Among the tests ordered may be the following non-invasive (not surgical) procedures:
- CT scan – a series of detailed pictures of areas inside your body are taken from different angles [ Learn more about CT Scans ]
- Ultrasound – high-energy sound waves are bounced off internal tissues or organs, making echoes that form a picture of body tissues [ Learn more about Ultrasound ]
- MRI scan – using a magnet, radio waves and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside your body. [ Learn more about MRI scanning ]
Additional tests may include a surgical biopsy and blood tests.
Diagnostic Imaging at UCSD
State-of-the-art diagnostic imaging is provided by UCSD’s Liver Imaging Group, which was formed by Dr. Claude Sirlin in 2004 to develop new techniques for non-invasive imaging of liver cancer and pre-cancerous liver conditions. In collaboration with liver specialists, the group includes radiologists, physicists, computer scientists, biostatisticians and coordinators, as well as research and clinical trainees. Since the group’s formation, its members have developed the technique of double-contrast magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose liver cancer. Two contrast agents are given to show liver tumors with high clarity, making possible the non-invasive diagnosis of small tumors not otherwise detectable.
The Liver Imaging Group also operates a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner in the MR3T facility in Hillcrest, where Dr. Sirlin personally monitors all clinical and research examinations performed.
Stages of Primary Liver Cancer
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Stage I: One tumor and it has not spread to nearby blood vessels
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Stage II: One tumor has spread to nearby blood vessels or more than one tumor exists, none of which is larger than 5 centimeters
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Stage IIIA: Either more than one tumor larger than 5 centimeters, or one tumor that has spread to a major branch of blood vessels near the liver
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Stage IIIB: One or more tumors of any size that have either spread to nearby organs other than the gallbladder, or broken through the lining of the peritoneal cavity
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Stage IIIC: The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes
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Stage IV: The cancer has spread beyond the liver to other areas of the body such as the bones or lungs. The tumors may be any size and may also have spread to nearby blood vessels and/or lymph nodes.
Gastrointestinal Cancer Unit
Moores UCSD Cancer Center
3855 Health Sciences Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
(858) 822-6100 |