The tumor involves all lobes of the liver and/or has spread to involve other organs such as the lungs, intra-abdominal lymph nodes or bone.
Standard Treatment No standard therapy is known to prolong survival. The usual approach is a trial of single-agent chemotherapy such as Adriamycin or 5-fluorouracil. Radiation to the tumor along with intravenous chemotherapy may relieve the pain of large liver masses, and radiation to painful bone or other metastases may also be appropriate.
Two-Year Survival Less than 5 percent
Investigational
• Combination chemotherapy or new drugs may prove to be better treatment than those currently available.
These would best be administered in a clinical trial, rather than using random combinations.
• Chemoembolization may improve symptoms even if there is metastatic disease.
• Newer drugs, including Taxol and interferon, are being studied.
