Technological Advancements In Liver Cancer Treatment At Indian Hospitals

liver cancer treatment

India is one of the preferred healthcare destinations among international patients for advanced cancer diagnostic tests, treatments, and therapies. Every year, thousands of people with liver cancer-related complications travel to the country and get admitted to the best hospitals for liver cancer in India, in cities such as Gurgaon, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, or Bangalore. The major reason behind the trust of so many patients is the availability of advanced technologies for cancer treatments at affordable costs. This article discusses some of the advanced methods of detection and diagnosis, and cancer therapies available in the best liver cancer treatment hospitals in India. 

Early detection and diagnosis

Liquid biopsies

This is a non-invasive blood test top oncologists often prescribe for the detection of liver cancer in patients. Unlike regular cancer biopsies, this procedure does not require surgical removal of cells and tissues from suspected tumors and organs. Instead, doctors try to trace biomarkers of cancer cells, like circulating tumor DNAs in the bloodstream. This advanced biopsy test is useful, especially for early detection, and monitoring of disease prognosis and treatment outcomes. Every one of the best liver cancer treatment hospitals in India considers this test as the gold standard for liver cancer diagnostics. 

Advanced Imaging Techniques

Accurate medical screening using imaging techniques is crucial for cancer diagnosis. Cancer researchers are using advanced imaging technologies to compare the liver’s dual blood supply system to detect and track benign and malignant lesions. Some of the advanced screening tests the best liver cancer treatment hospitals in India regularly perform are Multi-parametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS), and computed tomographies. 

Multi-parametric MRI –

This imaging technique uses radio waves to detect lesions and tumor growth in the liver and derive information related to the characteristics of lesions based on multiple imaging parameters. 

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound

uses contracting agents (injected from outside during the test) to accurately visualize the dual bloodstream to the liver for the detection of contrast differences between benign and malignant liver lesions.

Positron Emission Tomography With Computed Tomography (PET-CT) –

This diagnostic imaging technique combines positron emission tomography with computed tomography using radioactive tracers. Cancerous cells and tissues absorb tracers, causing ‘hot spots’ to appear in the image. 

Genetic profiling of liver cancer 

Personalized cancer treatments are proving more effective in containing the growth of cancer, destroying cancer cells effectively, and ensuring minimal recurrence. However, personalized therapies require genomic profiling and an understanding of the specific mutation patterns of cancer cells in a patient. This is necessary for liver cancers, like hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It helps to detect the signaling pathways that mutated cancer cells use to spread to neighborhood tissues and other parts of the body through the bloodstream. Doctors at some of the best liver cancer treatment hospitals in India conduct genomic profiling of liver cancer through analysis of tumor protein p53 (TP53), beta-catenin 1 (CTNNB1), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genes. 

Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning for pattern recognition is also becoming very popular in profiling genomic data as it removes human biases and finds all available clues. 

Treatment innovations

The major task of advanced diagnostics is to make an accurate prognosis and aid in treatment planning. Hospitals with limited infrastructure and a lack of skilled staff may not provide necessary treatments at affordable costs. However, this is not a problem with any of the best liver cancer treatment hospitals in India. Some of the modern treatments that international liver cancer patients get in Indian hospitals are: 

Robotic arm-assisted surgery –

Liver cancers often require resection procedures. Removing cancer cells from internal organs, like the liver, requires high-precision surgical skills and time. Robotic arms can deliver the highest level of surgical precision repeatedly with a minimum incision. This improves faster recovery of surgical wounds. Advanced imaging tools help plan, execute, and monitor robotic surgeries with 3-dimensional imaging visualization, in real-time.  

Advanced Ablative Techniques –

microwave and high-intensity focussed ultrasound-based ablation of cancer cells in the liver are becoming very effective in cases where surgical removal is difficult. This technique is particularly useful for tumors of less than 3 cm in size. 

Targeted immunotherapies –

These are the most advanced fields in cancer treatments and many of the top oncologists are adopting them with impressive success rates. In these types of therapies, doctors leverage the body’s natural immune system to locate, identify and destroy cancer cells. Personalized drugs or genetically modified T cells are used to recognize proteins in cancer cells for targeted killing. Some of the common drugs used in immunotherapies for liver cancers are lenvatinib, sorafenib, and cabozantinib. Target therapies are also used in combination with surgical intervention to minimize the recurrence of cancer growth. 

Some of the best liver cancer treatment hospitals in India with accompanying research facilities are also working on locoregional therapies, like Drug-Eluting Beads Trans-arterial Chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) and Yttrium-90 Radio-embolization (TARE). 

If you are looking for liver cancer treatment outside india, you can consider Germany. Germany is renowned for its state-of-the-art medical infrastructure and cutting-edge treatments for liver cancer. The Liver Cancer Treatment Cost in Germany typically includes advanced diagnostic methods like genomic profiling, high-precision imaging, and innovative therapies such as robotic surgery, targeted immunotherapies, and locoregional treatments like TARE. While Germany’s healthcare costs are higher compared to countries like India, they remain competitive given the high standard of care, advanced technologies, and access to globally renowned oncologists. This makes Germany a preferred destination for patients seeking premium cancer care solutions.

Bottom-line 

Advances in cancer diagnostics and treatments and affordable cancer care at the best liver cancer treatment hospitals in India are giving new hope to cancer patients and their families across the world. Medical tourism companies are also helping patients to access the best of cancer care at the most affordable costs.