SABR FOR LIVER CANCER IN THE UK

Targeted Treatment For Primary  And Secondary Liver Cancer

Whether your cancer started in the liver or spread there from elsewhere, the next decision is which treatment gives you the best chance of controlling it.

SABR targets liver tumours with a concentrated, high-precision dose of radiotherapy. For primary liver cancer, it’s an option when surgery, transplant or ablation aren’t suitable. For liver metastases, it can treat a small number of confined deposits, often from colorectal cancer.

We assess your imaging, liver reserve and treatment history before advising whether SABR is right for you.

For local and advanced cases

A focused treatment option for primary prostate cancer and carefully assessed metastatic disease.

1 to 5 treatment sessions

A short course of precision radiotherapy, planned around the area being treated.

Outpatient treatment

No overnight stay, with each session delivered in a specialist treatment centre.

WHAT IS LIVER CANCER?

Understanding Your Liver Cancer Before Treatment Starts

Primary liver cancer develops from cells within the liver, usually against a background of existing liver disease such as cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis infection. How much healthy liver tissue remains often determines which treatments are safe to use.

Liver metastases are different. They originate from cancer elsewhere in the body, commonly the bowel, and reach the liver through the bloodstream. The underlying liver is often otherwise healthy, which can open up more treatment options.

Knowing which situation you’re in, and how many tumours are involved, is the starting point for working out whether SABR has a role.

Common Symptoms Of Liver Cancer

Swelling or discomfort in the upper abdomen
Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
Persistent fatigue
Nausea or feeling full quickly after eating
Itchy skin
Swelling in the legs or abdomen (fluid build-up)
Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)

Many liver metastases cause no symptoms at all and are found through scans monitoring another cancer. Whichever situation applies to you, we can help you understand what your results mean.

Types Of Primary Liver Cancer

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

The most common primary liver cancer, starting in the main liver cells. It usually develops in a liver already affected by cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis.

Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

A less common cancer that starts in the bile ducts within the liver. It behaves differently to hepatocellular carcinoma and needs its own treatment approach.

Secondary (Metastatic) Liver Cancer

Cancer that has spread to the liver from elsewhere, most often the bowel. SABR may target a limited number of these deposits.

Types Of Secondary Liver Cancer

The liver receives a large share of the body’s blood supply, which makes it a frequent site for metastatic spread. The primary cancers we see most often include:

LIVER CANCER TREATMENT OPTIONS

Treatment Choices For Primary And Secondary Liver Cancer

Liver cancer treatment isn’t a single pathway. What’s appropriate depends on tumour size, number, location, and how much healthy liver tissue you have left to work with.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SABR)

Delivers concentrated, high-dose radiotherapy to a liver tumour while protecting the surrounding tissue. Used when surgery isn't possible for primary disease, or to treat a small number of liver metastases, usually over three to five sessions.

Liver Resection

Surgical removal of the tumour along with a margin of healthy tissue. Considered when the disease is limited in extent and enough functioning liver would remain after the operation.

Liver Transplantation

Replacing the whole liver, considered for selected patients with early-stage primary disease where cirrhosis or extensive damage means resection wouldn't leave enough healthy liver.

Ablation (Radiofrequency Or Microwave)

Heat delivered through a fine needle destroys small tumours directly, typically used for tumours under 3cm when surgery isn't the preferred route.

Transarterial Therapies (TACE Or Radioembolisation)

Chemotherapy or radioactive particles delivered directly through the blood vessels feeding the tumour, combined in TACE with blocking its blood supply. An option for primary disease confined to the liver but unsuitable for surgery.

Systemic Drug Treatment

Targeted therapies and immunotherapy acting throughout the body, used when disease extends beyond what local treatment can address.

WHAT IS SABR TREATMENT FOR LIVER CANCER

SABR Radiotherapy Targets Liver Tumours Without Open Surgery

SABR delivers a high, tightly focused dose of radiation to a liver tumour over a small number of sessions, aiming to control or destroy it while limiting exposure to the healthy liver around it.

It can treat primary liver cancer that isn’t suitable for resection or transplant, or a small number of liver metastases from cancers such as bowel or breast cancer.

Because the liver moves with breathing, treatment planning tracks this movement closely so the dose stays on target throughout each session.
Liver SABR is delivered using one of the following systems:

THE BENEFITS OF SABR FOR LIVER CANCER

SABR Treats Liver Cancer With Millimetre Precision

Liver cancer treatment isn’t only about what happens to the tumour. It’s also about how much of your daily routine you get to keep during and after treatment.

SABR radiotherapy treats liver tumours from outside the body, using a focused, high dose of radiation shaped precisely around the area being treated. For primary liver cancer, it offers a route to treatment when surgery isn’t possible. For liver metastases, it can target a small number of tumours confined to the liver, often alongside treatment for the cancer that caused them.

Whether SABR is right for you depends on your liver function, the number and position of any tumours, and your previous treatment. We review this in detail before recommending anything.

No admission to hospital is required. You attend for each session and go home the same day, as normal.

You remain awake throughout treatment, with no sedation, no surgical wound and no recovery period to plan around.

Because treatment involves only a small number of sessions, most patients continue working throughout the course.

Age, other health conditions or reduced liver function don’t automatically rule SABR out as they might for surgery.

Because sessions are brief, chemotherapy or targeted drug therapy usually doesn’t need a lengthy pause.

Your treatment plan is built around your tumour’s size, position and liver function, not a fixed protocol.

Is SABR Right for You

Six Signs SABR May Be Worth Discussing For Liver Cancer

No two liver cancer diagnoses are treated the same way. These are situations where SABR is often worth investigating. If any apply to you, we’ll review your case in detail.

Vascular involvement can rule out surgery. SABR is one of the few treatments that may still reach the tumour safely.

SABR can sometimes control a tumour while you remain on the transplant list, keeping the disease within listing criteria.

Tumours too large, or too close to major vessels, for radiofrequency or microwave ablation may still be treatable with SABR.

This is the most established use of SABR for secondary liver disease, where deposits are limited and confined.

If systemic treatment is working overall but one liver site is growing, SABR can target it without changing your wider plan.

If you’ve been told nothing more can be done locally, a detailed review of your scans and liver function may show otherwise.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIVER SABR

How Your Body May Respond In The Weeks After Liver SABR

Most patients tolerate liver SABR well, but it’s worth understanding upfront what can happen, both immediately and further down the line. The severity and type of effect usually depends on tumour location and how much of your liver’s total volume falls within the treatment area.

These are the effects your team will talk you through beforehand:

Common, Early Effects

Less Common, Liver-Specific Effects

We’ll walk you through your specific risk factors, including your current liver function, so you know exactly what to watch for.

Private Health Insurance

Confirm Your Cover Before You Begin

Many UK insurers cover radiotherapy when clinically recommended. Check with your insurer or cancer helpline before treatment begins.

Self-Funding Patients

Know The Cost Upfront

If you’re paying for treatment yourself, we’ll set out exactly what’s included and what it costs before you commit to anything.

International Patients

Arranging Treatment From Abroad

Travelling to the UK for liver SABR? We can organise your consultation, scan review and treatment plan remotely, ahead of your visit.

LIVER CANCER TREATMENT AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

Getting Clarity On Cost Before You Commit To Anything

Cost and access shouldn’t be unclear at a time when you’re already weighing enough decisions. Whichever route applies to you, insured, self-funding, or arranging treatment from outside the UK, you’ll know what’s involved before agreeing to anything.

Costs and payment are discussed with you directly after your consultation, once we know exactly what treatment is being recommended.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

A Careful Route From Assessment To Follow-Up

From the first conversation, our team will help you understand what information is needed, whether SABR is appropriate, and how treatment would fit with your wider prostate cancer care.

Initial Enquiry

Send an enquiry by phone, email or the form on this page. No referral is required. We will reply within one working day to discuss your case and arrange a consultation.

Clinical Assessment

A specialist reviews your scans, liver function and treatment history to judge whether SABR is suitable, or whether another approach would be safer.

Scan And Case Review

Your scans are reviewed to see whether the tumour started in the liver or has spread there, and whether its size and position can be treated safely.

Personalised Treatment Plan

If treatment goes ahead, the plan is built around tumour position, liver reserve, nearby bowel or stomach, and any earlier surgery, ablation or radiotherapy.

Starting Treatment

Treatment is planned as a short outpatient course. For liver tumours, session number varies according to tumour size, location and liver function.

Monitoring Over Time

Response is checked over time using follow-up scans, liver blood tests and symptoms, with clear guidance on what the results mean and next steps.

Can SABR be used after previous liver surgery or ablation?

Sometimes. Previous liver surgery, ablation or other liver-directed treatments do not automatically rule out SABR, but they do affect planning. The team would review what part of the liver has already been treated, how much healthy liver remains, current liver blood tests and the position of the tumour being considered.

How soon will scans show whether liver SABR has worked?

Scan changes are not always immediate. A treated liver tumour may shrink, remain stable or show treatment-related changes before the response becomes clear.

Follow-up imaging is usually interpreted over time rather than from one scan alone. Blood tests and symptoms may also help build the wider picture.

Can the same liver area be treated again with SABR?

Re-treatment is sometimes possible, but it is more complex. The previous dose to the liver and nearby organs must be reviewed before any further treatment is considered.

In some cases, another course may be unsafe. In others, it may be possible with careful planning and a clear reason for doing it.

What happens if SABR is not suitable?

If SABR is not the safest option, the team should explain why. The reason may be liver function, tumour position, number of tumours, disease elsewhere in the body or the risk to nearby organs.

That does not mean there are no options. It means another route may be more appropriate, such as surgery, ablation, SIRT, TACE, drug treatment or monitoring, depending on the case.

Do I need a biopsy before liver SABR?

Not always. Some liver tumours can be diagnosed from imaging and clinical history, especially when the pattern is clear.

A biopsy may be needed if the diagnosis is uncertain, if the result would change treatment, or if the team needs more information before recommending SABR. This is decided individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

We Know You Have Questions. Here Are The Honest Answers.

When you are facing cancer treatment, every question matters. The answers below cover what patients most often ask us, but they are only a starting point.

If you are unsure about anything, our team will take the time to understand your situation, explain things clearly and help you feel more informed about your options.

Speak to the Team

Connect With Our Clinical Team

Whether you have a specific question or simply want to understand your options, our team will provide clear guidance and an honest assessment of what treatment could look like for you.

You can reach us by filling in the contact form or calling us directly.