Liver cancer

Diagnosis

Mayo Clinic doctors use the latest diagnostic tests to help determine the stage of the liver cancer and to develop the best treatment plan for you.

Imaging tests

In tests that involve radiation, specialists carefully monitor doses to avoid the risk of radiation overexposure. Some of the advanced imaging technologies used at Mayo Clinic include:

• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (ko-lan-je-o-pan-kre-uh-TOG-ruh-fee) uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of your liver and bile ducts to help diagnose bile duct obstructions and stage liver tumors.
• Magnetic resonance elastography (MR elastography). Developed at Mayo Clinic, MR elastrography is a groundbreaking technology that uses sound waves to create an image that indicates how hard or soft your liver is. This helps detect fibrosis — scarring of liver tissue that can lead to cirrhosis, a major risk factor for liver cancer.

Mayo Clinic specialists pioneered the unique approach of using the cytologic technique fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to diagnose bile duct tumors.

Read more about liver cancer diagnosis and staging.