Metastatic lesions of the liver

Metastatic liver disease (secondary liver cancer) is a malignant process in which tumor cells from a primary focus located in another organ spread to the liver tissue.

Causes of Metastatic Liver Disease

The main cause of metastasis is the progression and spread of an existing oncological disease via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The liver has an extremely intensive blood supply and acts as a blood filter, especially for the blood flowing from the abdominal organs through the portal vein. This creates favorable conditions for the settling and multiplication of cancer cells.

The most common cancers that metastasize to the liver are:

• Colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon and rectum)

• Breast cancer

• Lung cancer

• Pancreatic and stomach cancer

• Melanoma

Symptoms of Metastatic Liver Disease

In the early stages, liver metastases usually do not cause any specific symptoms. The clinical picture begins to manifest when the tumor nodes reach significant sizes, stretch the organ capsule, or their quantity substantially impairs liver function.

The main symptoms include:

• Dull, aching pain or a feeling of heaviness in the right upper quadrant;

• Unexplained weight loss, exhaustion, and lack of appetite;

• General weakness, increased fatigue;

• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes);

• Increase in abdominal size (due to fluid accumulation — ascites, or enlargement of the liver itself);

• Nausea and vomiting.

Diagnosis of Metastatic Liver Disease at Oberig Clinic

Accurate and early diagnosis is critically important for choosing an effective treatment strategy. The standard diagnostic complex includes:

• Ultrasound of the liver and abdominal organs — examinations are performed on expert-class equipment, the ACUSON Sequoia ultrasound system from SIEMENS AG.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with hepatotropic contrast — the clinic is equipped with the latest Vida 3 Tesla MRI machine and is a reference center for SIEMENS AG in Ukraine.

• Computed Tomography (CT) with intravenous contrast enhancement — examinations are performed on a modern 128-slice SIEMENS AG CT scanner.

• Ultrasound-guided biopsy performed by the expert in interventional radiology, Y. Ye. Chirkov (performed strictly according to indications).

• Laboratory tests: liver function tests (ALT, AST, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase) and analysis for specific tumor markers (CEA, CA 19-9, etc., depending on the type of primary tumor) — the clinic has its own certified laboratory.

Treatment of Metastatic Liver Disease at Oberig Clinic

The most effective method that provides a chance for long-term survival or complete recovery (especially for colorectal metastases) is surgical intervention — liver resection or organ transplantation.

The treatment strategy is determined depending on the type of primary tumor, and the location and size of metastases. All types of oncological treatment are available at Oberig Clinic — systemic chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and surgical intervention, which involves liver resection or transplantation.

1. Full-Cycle Clinic: The entire necessary complex of diagnostic services (MRI, CT, Ultrasound, pathohistology) and all types of oncological treatment, including liver transplantation, are available in one clinic.

2. Technological Advantage: The clinic's operating rooms are equipped with ultrasonic dissectors (CUSA) and intraoperative ultrasound machines, which allows for tumor removal with maximum precision and minimal blood loss. Intraoperative irradiation of the patient's own blood and returning it to the bloodstream is also used in the clinic, minimizing the risk of complications associated with the use of donor blood.

3. Treatment Effectiveness: Patient survival rates after transplantation are comparable to the best world transplant centers — over 85%.

4. Treatment Accessibility: Free-of-charge transplantation for patients under the concluded agreement with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU).

5. Patient Safety: Ensuring infectious monitoring at all stages of treatment.