Liver Cancer

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s multidisciplinary liver cancer program offers nationally renowned experts in liver cancer and the region’s most advanced tools, technologies, and therapies for diagnosing and treating all types of liver cancer.

As the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Texas, we deliver the best cancer care available today and push to discover new treatments. NCI designation means we offer patients the ability to participate in the broadest possible range of clinical trials, with access to potential therapies not available at other facilities.

Comprehensive Liver Cancer Treatment

Patients with liver cancer or liver diseases can find hope close to home at the UT Southwestern Liver Cancer Center in Dallas.

Several types of cancer can form in the liver. The most common is hepatocellular carcinoma; other types include cholangiocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, metastatic cancers to the liver, and hepatoblastoma.

Care at UT Southwestern

At UT Southwestern, our specialized liver cancer team comprises transplant hepatologists, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, and other specialists, all working together to deliver individualized patient care and bring about the best possible outcomes for patients with any type of liver cancer.

Highlights of UT Southwestern’s liver cancer program include:

• Multidisciplinary clinic team: UT Southwestern is the only program in the region in which patients can be seen by multiple liver cancer experts during a same-day clinic appointment, ensuring that treatment is implemented with no delays. Each patient’s situation is discussed with liver cancer experts from several departments to ensure that the best treatment plan, with the highest chance of cure, is offered to each patient.
• Quick access to clinic visits: We have a simple referral process, and all patients are offered expedited same-week appointments.
• National experts in liver cancer: Our liver cancer team is regarded as one of the best in the country. We’ve been involved in defining how liver cancer should be treated, including writing the most recent guidelines on liver cancer management.  
• Aggressive use of curative surgery: We believe in the aggressive use of surgical resection and liver transplant (including living donor transplant) for patients with liver cancer and will even offer this as treatment to selected patients with large cancers.  
• Minimally invasive (robotic) liver surgery: UT Southwestern is one of only a few centers in the United States and the only in the region to offer minimally invasive liver surgery for treating liver tumors. This technique typically allows people to recover faster and go home sooner after surgery, with less pain than traditional surgery.
• Liver transplantation: Patients with liver cancer are often candidates for liver transplant. Using both deceased and living donor liver transplantation, we are able to offer liver transplant to many patients, including select patients with very large tumors at diagnosis.
• Access to clinical trials: Through clinical trials, we offer our patients access to the newest treatments that may not yet be available elsewhere in the region.
• Innovative treatment options for liver cancer: To ensure the well-being of the whole patient, the course of treatment includes comprehensive clinical services, psychological care, counseling, and a pain service.

From diagnosis to treatment and beyond, our team is here for every patient and every family.

Causes of Liver Cancer

The most common causes of liver cancer are chronic viral hepatitis infection and cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver. Learn more about the risk factors for liver cancer and how to prevent it.

Our Liver Cancer Services

We provide treatment options for people with:

• Primary liver cancers, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), and gallbladder cancer
• Metastatic cancer to the liver, such as metastatic colon cancer
• Benign (noncancerous) liver masses, such as adenomas, cysts, and other lesions 

Services we offer include:

• Multidisciplinary clinic and tumor board with access to multiple liver cancer experts during a single visit
• Quick access to clinic visits, with all patients offered an appointment within one week  
• The most current, evidence-based therapies and surgical procedures
• Aggressive surgical therapies, including robotic surgical resection and living donor liver transplantation
• Participation in clinical trials of promising new liver cancer therapies, giving patients opportunities to benefit from treatments not yet available to the public

We also offer a range of support services to help patients and families before, during, and after treatment for liver cancer, such as:

• Cancer psychology
• Support groups and classes
• Oncology nutrition
• Spiritual support
• Oncology rehabilitation
• EMBRACE Survivorship
• Oncology social work
• Transitional care coordination
• Integrative therapies