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Liver Cancer Surgeon
Liver Cancer Specialists at Surgical Associates of Southern Texas
Liver Cancer Evaluation, Surgical Planning and Treatment Options
A spot on the liver seen on a scan, a rising blood test, or new symptoms such as yellowing skin, fullness under the right ribs, or unexplained weight loss can be worrying. Many liver spots turn out not to be cancer, and liver cancer that is found early usually has more treatment options.
At Surgical Associates of Southern Texas, Dr. Murtaza Shakir, a board-certified general surgeon and surgical oncologist, reviews your imaging, blood tests, and biopsy results, explains your diagnosis in plain language, and helps you understand whether surgery could be part of your treatment. He sees patients at offices in Katy and Sugar Land, serving Richmond, Fulshear, Fort Bend County, and Greater Houston.
Meet the Surgeon
Dr. Murtaza Shakir, MD, general surgeon and surgical oncologist treating liver cancer in Katy and Sugar Land, TX
- Dual board certified in General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology
- Named a Houstonia Top Doctor in General Surgery, 2026 (see listing)
- Highly reviewed: rated 4.9 stars on Google
- Specialized in liver, colon, pancreatic, and breast cancer surgery, hernia repair, and gallbladder surgery
Patient Reviews
What Patients Say About Dr. Shakir
Rated 4.9 stars on Google. Real experiences from patients treated in Katy and Sugar Land.
Jump to a section
- At a glance
- What is liver cancer?
- Types of liver tumors
- Risk factors and screening
- Symptoms and when to see a doctor
- How liver cancer is diagnosed
- Liver cancer stages
- Can surgery remove it?
- Meet your surgeon
- How treatment is chosen
- Treatment options compared
- What liver resection involves
- Before surgery
- Recovery and follow-up
- Risks of liver surgery
- Patient reviews
- Why choose us
- Insurance
- Locations
- FAQs
- Schedule a consultation
At a Glance
Liver Cancer at a Glance
- What it is
- Cancer that starts in the liver (primary liver cancer) or spreads to the liver from another organ (secondary or metastatic). Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary type in adults.
- Who is at higher risk
- People with cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B or C, heavy alcohol use, fatty liver disease, or hereditary hemochromatosis. It is more common in men than in women.
- Common signs
- Often none early on. Later: weight loss, feeling full after a small meal, pain under the right ribs or near the right shoulder blade, belly swelling, itching, or yellow skin and eyes.
- How it is found
- Blood tests, ultrasound, CT, and MRI. A biopsy is often used, but sometimes imaging alone is clear enough to make the diagnosis.
- Main treatments
- Surgery to remove part of the liver, liver transplant, ablation, embolization, radiation, and medicines such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, chosen by stage and liver function.
- Who treats it
- A team that may include a surgeon, a liver specialist, an interventional radiologist, and oncologists. Dr. Shakir is board certified in General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology.
- Get urgent care for
- Vomiting blood, black or tarry stools, sudden severe belly pain or swelling, fainting, or new confusion or drowsiness. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
- Where
- Offices in Katy and Sugar Land, TX. Call 713-955-9191.
Liver Cancer Basics
What Is Liver Cancer?
Liver cancer is a disease in which cells in the liver grow out of control and form a tumor. Cancer that starts in the liver is called primary liver cancer. Cancer that starts somewhere else, such as the colon, and spreads to the liver is called secondary or metastatic liver cancer.
The difference matters because the two are treated differently. In the United States, metastatic tumors in the liver are more common than primary liver cancer. Primary liver cancer is less common than many other cancers, but it has become more common over the past several decades.
What the Liver Does
The liver is the largest organ inside the body, and no one can live without it. It sits under the right ribs and performs many essential jobs:
- Filters blood coming from the intestines and removes toxins, alcohol, and medicines
- Processes and stores nutrients absorbed from food
- Turns some nutrients into energy or into the materials the body needs to build tissue
- Stores sugar and releases it for energy when needed
- Makes bile, a fluid that helps digest fat
- Makes most of the proteins that help blood clot
Because the liver does so much, how well it is working is a key part of every liver cancer treatment decision.
Liver Tumor Types
What Are the Types of Liver Cancer?
Liver cancer is grouped by the type of cell where it starts. The type, together with the stage and your liver function, guides treatment.
Not Every Liver Spot Is Cancer
Many liver spots found on a scan are benign (not cancer). Common examples include simple cysts, hemangiomas (clusters of blood vessels), focal nodular hyperplasia, and hepatic adenomas. Most benign spots need no treatment, but some need follow-up imaging or, occasionally, removal. Learn more about the differences between a liver tumor and a cyst.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
HCC starts in hepatocytes, the main cells of the liver. It is the most common form of primary liver cancer in adults and usually develops in a liver already damaged by cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis.
Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
This cancer starts in the cells lining the small bile ducts inside the liver. About 10% to 20% of cancers that start in the liver are of this type. It is a form of bile duct cancer.
Angiosarcoma and Other Rare Types
Angiosarcoma is a rare cancer that begins in the cells lining the blood vessels of the liver. Hepatoblastoma is a very rare liver cancer that occurs mainly in young children.
Secondary (Metastatic) Liver Cancer
These tumors start in another organ and spread to the liver. Colon and rectal cancer are common examples. They are treated according to the original cancer, so colon cancer in the liver is managed as colon cancer. See colon cancer.
Risk and Prevention
Who Is at Risk for Liver Cancer?
Liver cancer most often develops in a liver that has been damaged for many years. Most, but not all, people who develop primary liver cancer already have some evidence of cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver. Known risk factors include:
- Cirrhosis from any cause
- Chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection
- Heavy alcohol use over many years
- Fatty liver disease (now called MASLD, formerly NAFLD), which is more common with excess body weight
- Excess body weight and type 2 diabetes
- Smoking
- Inherited conditions such as hereditary hemochromatosis, which causes iron to build up in the liver
- Aflatoxins, toxins from molds that can contaminate some stored foods
- Male sex: liver cancer is more common in men than in women
Having a risk factor does not mean you will get liver cancer, and some people with liver cancer have no known risk factors.
How Liver Cancer Develops
Liver cancer begins with changes in the DNA of liver cells. DNA carries the instructions that control how cells grow and divide. When these instructions are damaged over time, cells can start to multiply out of control and form a tumor. Long-term injury from alcohol, hepatitis B or C, or fatty liver disease causes repeated inflammation and scarring, which makes these changes more likely.
Screening for People at Higher Risk
There is no routine liver cancer screening for people at average risk. For people at higher risk, such as those with cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B, or hereditary hemochromatosis, many experts recommend an ultrasound, often with an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) blood test, about every 6 months.
Screening aims to find liver cancer early, when more treatments are possible. If you have one of these conditions, ask the doctor who manages your liver health whether regular screening is right for you.
Lowering Your Risk
Some risk factors can be changed. Getting vaccinated against hepatitis B, being tested and treated for hepatitis C, limiting alcohol, not smoking, and keeping a healthy weight and blood sugar all help protect the liver.
Liver Cancer Symptoms
What Are the Symptoms of Liver Cancer?
Early liver cancer often causes no symptoms, and symptoms usually appear only as the tumor grows. This is why people at higher risk are screened. When symptoms occur, they can include:
- Weight loss without trying
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling full after a small meal
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Pain in the upper right belly or near the right shoulder blade
- Fullness under the right ribs from an enlarged liver, or under the left ribs from an enlarged spleen
- Swelling of the belly or fluid buildup (ascites)
- Itching
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Fever
- Enlarged veins on the belly that can be seen through the skin
- Easy bruising or bleeding
Some liver tumors make hormone-like substances. These can cause high blood calcium, low blood sugar, a high red blood cell count, or high cholesterol, which may be found on routine blood tests.
These symptoms have many causes, and most are not cancer. In people with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis, feeling worse than usual or a change in liver blood tests can be the first sign that something has changed. Read about early warning signs of liver cancer.
When to See a Doctor
Make an appointment with your primary care doctor or liver specialist if you notice:
- Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes
- Weight loss you cannot explain
- Ongoing pain or fullness under the right ribs
- A belly that is getting larger or feels tight
- New symptoms if you already have cirrhosis or hepatitis B or C
A surgical consultation is usually the next step when a scan shows a liver mass, a biopsy shows cancer, or your doctor asks whether a liver tumor can be removed.
When Liver Symptoms Need Emergency Care
People with liver disease or a liver tumor should seek care right away for vomiting blood or coffee-ground material, black or bloody stools, sudden severe belly pain or swelling, fainting or a racing heartbeat, new confusion or extreme drowsiness, or high fever with chills and yellow skin. For a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Diagnosis
How Is Liver Cancer Diagnosed?
Liver cancer is diagnosed with a combination of blood tests and imaging, and often a biopsy. The same tests help show whether the cancer has spread and whether surgery is possible. At your consultation, Dr. Shakir asks about your symptoms and liver health, examines you, and reviews the imaging and reports you already have.
Blood Tests
Blood tests check how well the liver is working, how well your blood clots, and whether you have hepatitis B or C. They may also measure tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Many people with early liver cancer have a normal AFP, so AFP is more useful for guiding treatment and follow-up than for ruling cancer in or out.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is often the first test used to look at the liver and is the test most often used for screening. It shows the size and location of abnormal areas. A contrast-enhanced ultrasound can give more detail.
CT Scan
A CT scan with contrast creates detailed cross-sectional images of the liver and nearby organs. It shows the number and size of tumors, their relationship to blood vessels, and whether the cancer has spread. Surgeons use CT images to plan operations.
MRI
MRI creates very detailed images of liver tumors. It helps tell cancer from benign spots and shows whether a tumor involves the major blood vessels around the liver.
Biopsy
A biopsy removes a small sample of tissue to examine under a microscope. It is most often done with a needle by an interventional radiologist using local anesthesia. Samples can also be taken during laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) under general anesthesia, which lets the surgeon see the liver and nearby organs directly.
A biopsy is not always needed. When CT or MRI shows the typical features of HCC in a person at risk, doctors can sometimes be confident of the diagnosis from imaging alone. When surgery or a transplant may cure the cancer, your team decides carefully whether and where a biopsy should be done.
PET-CT Scan
A PET-CT scan shows areas of the body that are more metabolically active than normal tissue. It is used selectively, most often to look for cancer that has spread to the liver from another organ or from the liver to other parts of the body.
Please bring your imaging reports and discs, blood test results, biopsy and pathology reports, a list of your medications, and the name of any doctor treating your liver disease to your visit.
Staging
What Are the Stages of Liver Cancer?
The stage describes how many tumors there are, how large they are, whether they involve blood vessels, and whether the cancer has spread. In general, the lower the stage, the less the cancer has spread and the more treatment options there are. Treatment plans are guided by the stage.
Why Liver Function Matters as Much as Stage
Most people with HCC also have liver disease, so doctors look at how well the rest of the liver works, not only at the tumor. The Child-Pugh score grades liver function as class A (good), B, or C (severely reduced). Many liver cancer centers also use the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) system, which combines the tumor, liver function, and your overall health to group cancers as very early, early, intermediate, or advanced.
How Stages Translate Into Treatment Groups
- Potentially resectable or transplantable: the cancer may be removed completely with surgery or treated with a liver transplant. This usually includes most stage I and some stage II cancers.
- Unresectable but limited to the liver: the cancer has not spread outside the liver but cannot be removed safely, for example because of its location or the condition of the liver.
- Advanced: the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other organs and is usually treated with medicines rather than surgery.
Stage I
A single tumor that has not grown into blood vessels. The cancer is contained in the liver and has not reached lymph nodes or distant organs.
Stage II
A single tumor that has grown into blood vessels, or several tumors that are all 5 cm or smaller. The cancer is still limited to the liver.
Stage III
Several tumors with at least one larger than 5 cm, or a tumor that has grown into a major branch of the large veins of the liver or into a nearby organ.
Stage IV
The cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes (stage IVA) or to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs or bones (stage IVB).
Role of Surgery
Can Liver Cancer Be Removed With Surgery?
Some liver cancers can be removed with surgery, and when it is possible, surgery offers the best chance of cure. Surgery for primary liver cancer means either removing the part of the liver that contains the tumor (resection) or replacing the whole liver (transplant). Only a minority of people are candidates when they are first diagnosed, which is one reason early detection matters.
You may be a candidate for liver resection when:
- The cancer is limited to one area of the liver and has not spread to other parts of the body
- The tumor has not grown into the major blood vessels
- Your liver is working well, as shown by blood tests and imaging
- Enough healthy liver will remain after surgery to keep you well
- You are healthy enough for a major operation
Dr. Shakir uses your blood tests and CT or MRI images to judge whether surgery is the right first step. Read more: Can liver cancer be removed with surgery?
When Surgery Is Not the Best Option
Surgery may not be possible when the tumor is very large or in several parts of the liver, the liver is badly damaged by cirrhosis, the cancer has spread beyond the liver, or other health problems make a major operation unsafe. Other treatments can still control the cancer, relieve symptoms, and in some cases shrink a tumor enough that surgery becomes possible later.
Why a Surgical Opinion Helps Early
Seeing a surgical oncologist soon after a liver mass is found helps your team decide on the right order of tests and treatment from the start. It also helps avoid steps that could limit surgical options later.
Your Surgeon
Meet Your Liver Cancer Surgeon
Murtaza Shakir, MD
Board-Certified General Surgeon & Surgical Oncologist
Liver cancer care at Surgical Associates of Southern Texas is led by Dr. Murtaza Shakir, who is board certified in General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology.
Board certification
American Board of Surgery: General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology
Medical degree
Aga Khan University
Residency
General Surgery, Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
Fellowship
Two-year Surgical Oncology fellowship, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Surgical practice includes
Named a Houstonia Top Doctor in General Surgery (2026). Learn more about our general surgery services.
Treatment Planning
How Your Liver Cancer Treatment Plan Is Chosen
Liver cancer treatment is planned around the tumor, the health of your liver, and your own goals. Care is usually shared by a team that may include a surgeon, a hepatologist or gastroenterologist, an interventional radiologist, a medical oncologist, and a radiation oncologist. Dr. Shakir reviews these factors with you before recommending surgery.
Number and Size of Tumors
A single tumor is more often removable than several tumors spread through the liver. Tumor size affects which treatments are possible.
Blood Vessels and Bile Ducts
A tumor close to or growing into major blood vessels or bile ducts may be harder or unsafe to remove.
Liver Function
Cirrhosis and other liver disease affect how much liver can safely be removed and whether some treatments are possible at all.
Primary or Metastatic
Cancer that started in the liver and cancer that spread from another organ are treated differently. The original cancer guides the plan for metastatic tumors.
Your Overall Health
Heart and lung health, other medical conditions, and your ability to recover from a major operation all affect which treatment is safest.
Your Goals and Preferences
Your priorities, including how you weigh the benefits and burdens of each treatment, are part of every recommendation.
Treatment Options
Liver Cancer Treatment Options Compared
There are several ways to treat liver cancer, and many people receive more than one. Some treatments aim to remove or destroy the cancer completely; others aim to control it and relieve symptoms. Several are performed by other specialists, such as interventional radiologists, medical oncologists, and transplant teams.
Watching Very Small Spots
A very small spot found during screening, such as one smaller than 1 cm, is often watched with repeat imaging every few months rather than treated right away. Treatment begins if it grows or develops features of cancer.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials test new treatments and combinations. Ask your care team whether a clinical trial may be right for you.
Liver Resection (Partial Hepatectomy)
- What it is: surgery to remove the part of the liver that contains the tumor, with a rim of normal tissue
- Best suited for: a tumor limited to one area of a liver that is working well
- Main advantage: removes the cancer completely and gives tissue for examination
- Trade-off: a major operation with a hospital stay and recovery of several weeks
Liver Transplant
- What it is: the whole liver is removed and replaced with a healthy donor liver
- Best suited for: some people with small HCC limited to the liver whose liver is too damaged for resection
- Main advantage: treats the cancer and the underlying liver disease
- Trade-off: donor livers are limited, waits can be long, and lifelong anti-rejection medicine is needed
Ablation
- What it is: destroying a tumor with heat (radiofrequency or microwave), cold (cryoablation), or alcohol injection, usually through a needle
- Best suited for: small tumors, especially when surgery is not a good option
- Main advantage: no large incision and a short recovery
- Trade-off: works best for small tumors away from major vessels
Embolization
- What it is: blocking the blood supply to a tumor through a thin tube placed in an artery; it may deliver chemotherapy (TACE) or radiation beads (radioembolization)
- Best suited for: tumors limited to the liver that cannot be removed or ablated
- Main advantage: can control tumors and may keep cancer in check while waiting for a transplant
- Trade-off: usually controls rather than cures the cancer
Radiation Therapy
- What it is: focused high-energy beams, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), aimed at the tumor
- Best suited for: selected tumors that cannot be treated with surgery or ablation
- Main advantage: no incision
- Trade-off: healthy liver nearby must be protected, which limits the dose in some cases
Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy
- What it is: medicines that block signals cancer cells need to grow, or that help the immune system attack the cancer
- Best suited for: advanced cancer or cancer that cannot be treated in the liver alone
- Main advantage: treats cancer throughout the body
- Trade-off: aims to control the cancer rather than cure it; side effects vary by medicine
Which treatments fit you depends on your stage, liver function, and health. Dr. Shakir explains which options apply to your situation and which specialists are involved. Learn more about surgical oncology for liver cancer.
Liver Surgery
What Happens During Liver Resection?
Liver resection removes the tumor along with a rim of normal liver tissue, called the margin, to lower the chance of cancer being left behind. Depending on where the tumor is, the operation may remove a small wedge, one segment, or a larger portion of the liver, such as a lobe (lobectomy).
The Liver Can Regrow
Unlike most organs, the liver can regrow. After resection, the remaining liver takes over the work of the whole liver, and a healthy liver may grow back toward its normal size over the following weeks to months. A liver scarred by cirrhosis regrows less well, which is why less liver can be removed safely when cirrhosis is present.
Planning the Operation
Before surgery, CT or MRI images are used to map the tumor, the blood vessels, and the bile ducts, and to estimate how much liver will remain. Blood tests confirm that the liver is strong enough. Liver resection is a major operation performed in a hospital under general anesthesia, and an inpatient stay is expected. The surgical approach is discussed with you at your consultation.
After the Tumor Is Removed
The removed tissue is examined by a pathologist, who confirms the type of cancer and checks the margins. These results guide whether more treatment or closer follow-up is recommended.
Ask about Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) and pain management at your consultation.
Preparing for Surgery
Before Liver Cancer Surgery
Preparation for liver surgery is reviewed at your consultation and depends on the operation planned and the health of your liver. A liver cancer diagnosis is stressful, and the surgical team is available to answer your questions before, during, and after surgery.
Questions to Ask Before Surgery
- Is my liver cancer primary or metastatic, and what stage is it?
- Am I a candidate for resection, or are other treatments better for me?
- How much of my liver will be removed, and is the rest healthy enough?
- Should I have treatment before or after surgery?
- Who else will be part of my care team?
- How long will I be in the hospital, and when can I return to work?
- How will I be followed after treatment?
What Preparation May Include
- Consultation and physical examination
- Review of CT, MRI, blood tests, and any biopsy results
- Any additional imaging or tests your team recommends
- Review of medical history and medications
- Heart, lung, or anesthesia evaluation when needed
- Instructions on eating, drinking, and the day of surgery
- Planning for help at home after you leave the hospital
See our pre-operative care guidance.
What to Tell the Surgical Team
- Blood thinners and aspirin
- All prescription and over-the-counter medicines
- Supplements and herbal products
- Alcohol use
- Cirrhosis, hepatitis, or other liver disease
- Bleeding problems
- Diabetes, heart, or lung conditions
- Previous abdominal surgery
- Allergies
Do not stop prescription medication unless instructed by the appropriate healthcare professional.
After Surgery
Recovery After Liver Cancer Surgery
Recovery after liver resection takes several weeks and depends on how much liver was removed, the approach used, and your liver health. Your surgeon gives you instructions for your specific operation.
- In the hospital: your team checks your liver blood tests, pain control, and early walking.
- Pain control: take pain medication as prescribed; some pain medicines are adjusted for the liver.
- Activity: walking is encouraged. Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise until cleared.
- Eating: appetite often returns gradually. Small, frequent meals can help.
- Alcohol: avoid alcohol while the liver heals, and ask your doctor about long-term limits.
- Pathology results: the final report on the tumor and margins is reviewed at your follow-up visit.
- Emotional support: it is normal to feel anxious or tired after a cancer diagnosis and major surgery. Tell your team so they can help.
For more detail, see our post-operative care instructions and pain management pages.
Follow-Up After Treatment
Regular follow-up with blood tests and imaging is important after liver cancer treatment. A liver damaged by cirrhosis or hepatitis can develop a new cancer later, and finding it early keeps more options open. Continuing care for hepatitis or other liver disease is part of protecting your liver.
When to Call the Office
Call the office if you have a fever, increasing redness, warmth, or drainage from the incision, pain that is not controlled by your medication, nausea that keeps you from eating or drinking, or new yellowing of the skin or eyes.
When to Get Emergency Care After Surgery
After surgery, seek care right away for chest pain or sudden shortness of breath, coughing up blood, a painful swollen leg, heavy bleeding, vomiting blood or black stools, severe or worsening belly pain or swelling, or high fever with chills or confusion. For a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Surgery Risks
Risks and Possible Complications of Liver Surgery
Liver surgery is a major operation, and it carries some risk, such as bleeding, infection, a bile leak, or, rarely, liver failure if the remaining liver cannot keep up. Schedule a consultation and Dr. Shakir will explain the risks that apply to you.
Why Choose Us
Why Choose Surgical Associates of Southern Texas for Liver Cancer Care?
Dr. Murtaza Shakir is board certified in General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology and evaluates liver tumors for surgery at offices in Katy and Sugar Land.
- Two-year Surgical Oncology fellowship at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- Scans, stage and liver function explained in plain language
- Plans based on your tumor, liver health and goals
- Planned in the right order with your other treatment
- Consultations in Katy and Sugar Land
Insurance Coverage
Insurance for Liver Cancer Care
Surgical Associates of Southern Texas accepts many major insurance plans for liver cancer evaluation and surgery, including participating Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. Our office can confirm whether your specific plan participates and whether a referral or prior authorization is needed before your visit.
Coverage, network participation, authorization requirements, and your share of the cost vary by plan. You can also review the insurance accepted for surgical care at our practice.
Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield are only some of the plans we accept. Plan-specific details are on our Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield pages. If your plan is not listed, contact our office and our team will help verify it.
Insurance participation and benefits vary by individual plan. Verification does not guarantee coverage, authorization or payment. Please contact our office and your insurer to verify benefits before treatment.
Our Locations
Two Convenient Fort Bend County Offices
Learn more about our Katy and Sugar Land practices, or view all locations.
Katy Office
410 W Grand Pkwy S, Suite 4D
Katy, TX 77494
Serves: Katy, Fulshear, Richmond, Cinco Ranch and West Houston
Sugar Land Office
17510 W Grand Pkwy S, Suite 320
Sugar Land, TX 77479
Serves: Sugar Land, Richmond, Stafford, Missouri City, Fort Bend County and Southwest Houston
Approximate Drive Times
From West Houston (Energy Corridor): about 15 minutes to Katy, or 25 to 30 minutes to Sugar Land.
From North Houston: about 40 to 50 minutes to either office, depending on traffic.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Liver Cancer
Is every spot on the liver cancer?
No. Many liver spots are benign, such as simple cysts, hemangiomas, or focal nodular hyperplasia. Blood tests and imaging such as CT or MRI usually tell them apart, and a biopsy is used when needed.
What is the difference between primary and metastatic liver cancer?
Primary liver cancer starts in the liver itself, most often as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Metastatic liver cancer starts in another organ, such as the colon, and spreads to the liver. It is treated according to where it started.
What are the early signs of liver cancer?
Early liver cancer often causes no symptoms. When symptoms appear, they can include weight loss, feeling full after a small meal, pain under the right ribs or near the right shoulder blade, belly swelling, itching, and yellow skin or eyes.
Who is at higher risk for liver cancer?
People with cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B or C, heavy alcohol use, fatty liver disease, hereditary hemochromatosis, obesity, or type 2 diabetes are at higher risk. Liver cancer is also more common in men and in people who smoke.
How is liver cancer diagnosed?
Liver cancer is diagnosed with blood tests and imaging such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI. A biopsy is often done, but in people at risk, a CT or MRI with the typical features of HCC can sometimes be enough.
Can liver cancer be cured?
Some liver cancers can be cured, most often when they are found early and can be removed with surgery or treated with a liver transplant. Other treatments can control the cancer and relieve symptoms when cure is not possible.
Can liver cancer be removed with surgery?
Sometimes. Surgery to remove part of the liver may be possible when the cancer is limited to one area, has not grown into major blood vessels, and the rest of the liver is healthy enough. Dr. Shakir uses blood tests and CT or MRI to judge whether surgery fits.
What if my liver cancer cannot be removed?
Other treatments may still help. These include ablation, embolization, radiation, and medicines such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Sometimes these shrink a tumor enough that surgery becomes possible later.
How long is recovery after liver surgery?
Recovery after liver resection usually takes several weeks and includes a hospital stay. It depends on how much liver is removed and your overall health. Your surgeon gives you specific guidance on work, driving, and lifting.
Does the liver grow back after surgery?
Yes. A healthy liver can grow back toward its normal size over the weeks to months after surgery, and the remaining liver takes over the work of the whole organ.
Sources and references
- What Is Liver Cancer?, American Cancer Society (ACS)
- Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer, American Cancer Society (ACS)
- Surgery for Liver Cancer, American Cancer Society (ACS)
- Liver Cancer Treatment (PDQ) – Patient Version, National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Liver Cancer, MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Reviewed by the Review Team at Surgical Associates of Southern Texas.
Medical Disclaimer: This page provides general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. For vomiting blood, black stools, sudden severe abdominal pain, confusion, or other emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Last updated October 16, 2026.
Schedule a Liver Cancer Consultation
Has a scan shown a spot on your liver, a biopsy shown liver cancer, or your doctor asked whether a liver tumor can be removed? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Murtaza Shakir to understand your results and learn whether surgery or other treatments fit you. Offices in Katy and Sugar Land serve Richmond, Fulshear and Greater Houston.
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