[The role of anatomical hepatectomy in the treatment of intrahepatic cholangioca

Thank you, Gavin, for posting this.

For laymen (like me), anatomical hepatectomy refers to liver resection where whole segments of the liver are removed, not just the bit containing the tumor and a margin of surrounding tissue.   This is the standard procedure for a resection.  The reason why gets complicated, but the gist of it has to do with factors such as blood flow and drainage within the liver, through which cancer cells can escape and spread.  When the whole segment(s) is removed, in essence the tumor’s neighborhood is removed, lowering the chances of left-behind cancer cells.  If you look at a diagram of the liver, you can see how it is made up of eight segments.

Resection of the liver is a demanding and complex surgery, and reading about it leaves me in awe of the surgeons who perform the operation.  When first diagnosed, if your tumor has not spread outside the liver, job #1 is to find a skilled surgeon for an expert opinion regarding whether the tumor(s) can be resected.

Regards, Mary