Information for Doctors
The Multidisciplinary Liver and Pancreatic Cancer Service
At the Hammersmith Hospital, the liver and pancreatic cancer team has a world-renowned reputation for both clinical practice and research, and leads the field in cutting-edge technology. Following the reconfiguration of the school and hospital in 1997, Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust is now one of the largest trusts in the UK. The team has published extensively on pancreatic, liver and biliary surgery.The liver and pancreatic cancer team provides holistic care for patients with liver, pancreatic and/or biliary disorders. There are 30 specialists consisting of surgeons, gastroenterologists, radiologists, oncologists and histopathologists, all working in the HPB unit to form a multidisciplinary management team. The MDT team meets three times weekly to discuss the most appropriate treatment strategy for each patient and to review research. Treatment options include diagnostic and interventional radiology, endoscopy, surgery, nuclear medicine, oncology and palliative care. The HPB unit at the Hammersmith Hospital is the receiving centre in West London for patients with liver, pancreatic and /or biliary disorders within the region, UK and worldwide, and is recognised as a world leader in innovation and clinical practice. It is part of Imperial College London, which is ranked third in Bio-Medical research worldwide.
In recent years, it was one of the first two units in the world to apply radiofrequency to ablate liver cancers. Based on this principle, a new technique for liver resection has been invented in this unit by Professor Nagy Habib. This has led to a significant reduction in intraoperative blood loss and transfusion requirement. Patients undergoing liver surgery recover faster and with fewer complications. Academically, the unit has a sound record on research in gene therapy, genomic and stem cell therapy for patients with chronic liver disease. Visit SIRTEX Spheres for more information.