Your First Visit to the UPMC Liver Cancer Center

If you have received a diagnosis of liver disease or liver cancer, the UPMC Liver Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, PA, is the best possible place for evaluation and treatment.

No matter who you are or where you're from, we're here to provide outstanding care and help you and your family through this uncertain and difficult time.

Before Your Visit

• Your referring primary care physician, oncologist, or gastroenterologist will give us your medical history and current diagnosis.
• Our office will contact you to schedule your first appointment.
• We'll send you directions to the UPMC Liver Cancer Center at UPMC Montefiore, information about Pittsburgh, and a list of possible places to stay, if you're from out of town.

What to Bring to Your First Appointment

On your first visit to the UPMC Liver Cancer Center, you will need:

• Your health insurance information
• Your medical records (or, your doctor can fax or e-mail them)
• Your CT or MRI scans
• Any previous liver biopsy slides

What to Expect During Your Visit

The initial visit may take several hours, depending on your needs.

When you first arrive at the Liver Cancer Center, located on the seventh floor of UPMC Montefiore, you will:

• Need your insurance information to register
• Meet your nurse coordinator and liver surgeon
• Fill out an information packet

The liver surgeon will:

• Interview you about your medical history, medications, and general condition
• Perform a physical exam
• Develop your plan of medical treatment and care

You may need to have further liver diagnostic tests, such as:

• A Percutaneous liver biopsy
• Radiology scans
• Blood work

After you complete any additional tests, your team of specialists at the UPMC Liver Cancer Center will decide if you are a candidate for surgery to remove your liver tumor.

If you are not a candidate for surgery, the team will refer you to a liver cancer oncologist at the center.

The oncologist — who specializes in treating advanced liver cancers — may recommend a variety of treatments, such as:

• Chemoembolization (combinations of chemotherapy injected directly into the liver)
• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
• Regional chemotherapy or internal radiation with yttrium-90 spheres

If you have concerns or questions about your visit to the UPMC Liver Cancer Center, please let us know.