Liver Tumor Program

Treatment and Evaluation

Our multidisciplinary team of physicians meets regularly to establish the optimal treatment plan for each individual liver tumor patient. Treatment options are limited if the tumor cannot be completely removed with surgery. Although chemotherapy can be used, it often has limited efficacy and is associated with significant short and long term side effects.

If a liver transplant is the best course of action, our world-renowned pediatric liver transplant team is immediately available. We are one of the few pediatric liver tumor centers in the country to offer transplantation within the same facility.

We also offer advanced interventional radiology techniques such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to treat liver lesions, a procedure common for adult patients but new in pediatrics.

Cutting-Edge Transarterial Radioembolization

In partnership with a team of physician-scientists at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital is using a new treatment option for pediatric patients with liver tumors, called Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE).

Using a targeted approach, this treatment delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the tumor via the blood vessel supplying the tumor, thereby sparing neighboring, healthy liver tissue. Because TARE is used on the tumor directly, it is much better tolerated than chemotherapy and can be done in a single visit in an outpatient setting.

The procedure has been available for many years in adult liver cancer patients, and now the treatment is available for children. Very few centers in the country offer this treatment option exclusively at a pediatric facility. The Liver Tumor Program at Texas Children’s is the only center in the southwestern United States currently offering TARE to treat pediatric liver cancers.

Learn More about TARE Treatment for Liver Tumors