What to expect from tumour ablation for liver cancer

Your team reviews liver function, tumour location and nearby blood vessels or organs before choosing an approach. With sedation or general anaesthesia, a probe is guided through the skin or another planned route while imaging shows its position. Heat, freezing or another energy method treats the targeted tissue. The team then observes you for pain, bleeding and changes in vital signs. The treated area can look different on later scans as it heals.

Tell the team about liver disease, allergies, medicines and any blood thinners. Follow fasting instructions and arrange an adult to take you home if sedation is used. Rest as advised, care for the small wound according to instructions and avoid strenuous activity until cleared. Temporary tiredness, local soreness, nausea or a mild temperature can happen. Keep follow-up appointments so liver tests and imaging can be reviewed together.

Call the treatment team for worsening abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes, increasing redness, or drainage from the wound. Get urgent help for severe pain, fainting, confusion, breathing difficulty, heavy bleeding or a rapidly swollen abdomen. These signs can reflect a complication and should be assessed promptly.

Ask why ablation is suitable for your tumour, which method and anaesthesia will be used, how liver function will be protected, and when you can return to normal activity. Ask what the follow-up scans will look for and what happens if treated tissue remains.