Palliative techniques for hepatic cancer.

Primary and secondary hepatic malignancies are a leading cause of death. Only a minority of patients with liver cancer are candidates for curative surgical resection. Palliative treatments for unresectable hepatic malignancies should minimize tumor-related symptoms and extend overall survival. Systemic chemotherapy is only modestly effective at both ameliorating symptoms and improving survival. This review focuses on the liver-directed therapy options for patients with advanced unresectable liver malignancies.