Our Diagnostic Services

Liver Tumor Diagnostic and Treatment Services

Whether you have been referred by your doctor or are coming for a second opinion after a diagnosis, our team is here to help with the most extraordinary skill and compassion. Your personalized liver treatment may include:

  • Robotic liver surgery
  • New forms of highly targeted chemotherapy
  • Chemoembolization, a procedure where cancer cells are targeted while healthy tissue is unharmed
  • Radioembolization, in which tiny cancer fighting particles are delivered to the tumor through the blood stream to kill cancer cells

As a world-class teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, BIDMC is able to offer clinical trials of new treatments for liver cancer and tumors.

Liver Cancer Diagnostic Services

Endoscopic Procedures

Endoscopic procedures are one way of determining whether you have a liver tumor. A gastroenterologist — a doctor who specializes in the digestive system — uses a device called an endoscope for examination. There are different types of endoscopy depending upon the nature of your condition.

  • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography ( ERCP) uses X-rays and an endoscope to treat problems of the bile and pancreatic ducts. A nurse will inject dyes into the areas being examined so they show on X-ray.
  • Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive procedure that combines endoscopy and ultrasound to obtain images and information about your digestive tract, the surrounding tissue and organs.
  • Intraductal cholangioscopy uses an endoscope to visualize key areas during ERCP.
  • Confocal microscopy is an enhanced imaging technique for inspection of your tissue at the cellular level.
Advanced Imaging Studies

BIDMC enjoys an international reputation for state-of-the-art radiological imaging. Improved imaging helps detect cancer in its earliest stages. Techniques include:

  • Rapid multidetector CT (computed tomography) angiography and MR (magnetic resonance) angiography for taking a closer look at the vessels supplying blood to your liver. Our doctors may use 3-D reconstructions of your CT scans to plan surgeries or procedures.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), a non-invasive method for screening your bile ducts and pancreas.