Limitations of current treatment methods for primary carcinoma of the liver.

Because the liver is the largest organ in the human body and is situated deep in a body cavity, large amounts of the parenchymal tissue can be replaced by malignant tissue before any symptoms are noticed. When clinical symptoms are present, the cancer has usually reached an advanced stage, severely limiting the useful application of current treatment methods for cure or prolonged palliation. At present, surgical resection may be expected to produce long-term survivors in 25% of patients resectable for cure. Improved tests for earlier diagnosis and increased awareness on the part of the physican and the patient are needed to permit diagnosis of this cancer in patients with stage I disease, which can be controlled for long periods of time.