Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
How to keep one file for liver cancer reports and scans | CION Cancer Clinics
Put every scan, report, letter and prescription into one folder, in date order, with a one-page summary at the front. Liver cancer passes through many doctors, and a single file stops reports going missing at each handover. This page explains what to keep, how to set the file up in an evening, what to write on the summary sheet, and how to keep a digital copy safe. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team supports patients and families through symptoms, follow-up and life during and after treatment.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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The short answer
Why keep one file for liver cancer at all?
Keep every report, scan and prescription in one folder, in date order, with a single summary sheet at the front. That one habit saves more time at appointments than anything else a family can do. Liver cancer is looked after by many different doctors, and each of them needs to see what the others found.
Why liver cancer needs it more than most
A physician may order the first ultrasound. A gastroenterologist may see the blood tests. A hepatologist, a radiologist, an oncologist and sometimes a surgeon follow. Each handover is a chance for a report to go missing. When it does, a scan may be repeated or a decision delayed while someone searches for an old CD.
Who this page is for
This page is for patients and the family member who manages the paperwork, often a son or daughter juggling work and travel to Hyderabad. It is about organising papers, and it is general information. It is not legal advice about who owns medical records. For that, see getting your medical records and reports copied.
The file is not a medical opinion. It is the material a doctor needs to give one.What goes in it
What should a liver cancer file contain?
Five sections cover almost everything. Keep each one in date order, newest at the front.
Scans and their reports
Ultrasound, triple-phase CT, MRI and any PET-CT. Keep the written report and the images, on a CD, a pen drive or a download link. A report without the images often means the scan is repeated.
Blood tests
Liver function tests, AFP, platelets, INR and the hepatitis B and C results. Doctors care about the trend, so the oldest report matters as much as the newest.
Easy to lose
- The first hepatitis test, often done years earlier
- Reports from a small lab near home
- Tests done during an emergency admission
Biopsy and pathology
If a biopsy was done, keep the pathology report and ask where the tissue blocks and slides are stored. Many liver cancers are diagnosed on scans alone, so this section may be empty.
Letters and summaries
Discharge summaries, referral letters, tumour board notes and procedure notes after TACE, ablation or surgery.
Medicines
A current list of everything taken, including antivirals, water tablets, lactulose, herbal tonics and supplements. Update it whenever anything changes.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistSetting it up
How do I organise cancer reports into one file?
Gather everything in one place
Collect papers from every hospital, lab and pharmacy, including the ones at home in the district. Do not sort yet. Just make sure nothing is left in a drawer somewhere else.
Sort by type, then by date
Use the five sections above. Within each one, put the newest report on top. Write the date clearly on any page where it is hard to find.
Write a one-page summary for the front
Name, age, diagnosis as the doctor wrote it, the date it was found, treatments so far, current medicines, allergies, and the names of the doctors involved. This is the page a new doctor reads first.
Make a digital copy
Photograph or scan each page and keep it in one phone folder or a cloud drive shared with one trusted relative. It protects you if the paper file is lost on a bus or a train.
Keep it current
Add each new report on the day you receive it. A file that is a few months behind causes the same problems as no file.
!
Never delay an emergency to find the file
Vomiting blood, black stools, new confusion or drowsiness, or a fever with pain and swelling in the abdomen all need a hospital today. Go straight away. Take the summary sheet if it is at hand, or send the phone photos to the emergency doctor later. Keeping a copy of the summary in the patient's bag and on a relative's phone means it is always with you when it matters.
Labels that help
Which words should I write on the summary sheet?
- Primary or secondary
- Whether the cancer started in the liver or spread there from elsewhere. Write exactly what the doctor said. If no one has said, leave it blank and ask.
- Cirrhosis
- Scarring of the liver. Note whether it is present, because it shapes almost every treatment choice.
- Child-Pugh
- A score for how well the liver is working, written as A, B or C. Copy it from the latest letter.
- BCLC stage
- The staging system most liver teams use. It combines the tumour, liver function and how active you are.
- Hepatitis status
- Whether hepatitis B or C was found, and whether antiviral tablets were started.
- Treatments so far
- Each procedure or drug, with its date and where it was given.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Commonly believed
Four things families assume about medical papers
"The hospital keeps everything, so we do not need copies."
Hospitals keep their own records, but they rarely see each other's. When care moves between a district hospital, a lab and a cancer centre, the family is often the only link carrying the full story.
"Only the latest scan matters."
In liver cancer the change between scans often matters most. An older scan shows how fast a spot has grown, or whether it was there all along. Keep every one.
"The written report is enough. We can throw away the CD."
A radiologist reviewing your case usually wants the images, not just the words. Without them, the scan may have to be done again. Copy the CD to a pen drive or a cloud folder as well.
"We should leave the drinking or the herbal tonic out of the file."
Doctors need to know about alcohol and every tonic or supplement, because both affect the liver and the choice of treatment. Nobody is judging. An honest medicines list keeps the patient safer.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what your reports mean. A neat file helps a doctor read them quickly, but the reading itself needs a specialist who can see the images and examine the patient. If you want help with the words, our page on what a liver radiology report means explains the common ones.
It cannot settle legal questions
Who may request records, how long a hospital keeps them and what it may charge for copies are governed by rules that differ between institutions and change over time. Ask the hospital's medical records department, and a lawyer if there is a dispute.
Who this does not apply to
If your care has stayed in one hospital from the first scan, its own records may already be complete, and a simple medicines list and summary sheet may be all you need. The full file matters most when care crosses between hospitals, cities or doctors. Before any new appointment, our guide to preparing for a liver cancer consultation covers what else to bring.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about keeping a cancer file
Should I give the doctor my original reports?
Show the originals, but hand over photocopies whenever you can. Original scans and pathology reports are hard to replace if they are lost. If a hospital needs to keep an original, ask for a receipt and note it in your file so you know where it went.
Is a phone folder enough, or do I need paper?
Keep both if you can. Phone photos are easy to share and hard to lose, but some clinics prefer paper, and images on a CD cannot be photographed usefully. A paper file with a matching phone folder covers most situations, including a lost phone.
Is it safe to share reports on WhatsApp?
Many families do, and it is often the quickest way to reach a relative or a clinic. Share only with people you trust, avoid large family groups, and remember that forwarded messages travel further than you intend. A shared cloud folder with one or two people gives more control.
What if some old reports are missing?
Ask the lab or hospital that did the test. Most can reprint a report or reissue images if you give the patient's name, the approximate date and any registration number. If something cannot be found, tell the doctor. They will decide whether it needs repeating.
Who in the family should keep the file?
One person should own it, usually whoever comes to most appointments. A second relative should have the digital copy and know where the paper file is kept. In joint families this avoids several people holding different pieces of the story.
Should herbal medicines go on the medicines list?
Yes. Write down every tonic, powder, capsule or home remedy, even if it seems harmless. Some herbal products can harm a liver that is already scarred, and your doctor can only check what they know about. Telling them is about safety, not about blame.
Do I need the file for a second opinion?
A second opinion is only as good as the material it is based on. The images, the full reports, the blood test trend and the treatment history let a tumour board review the case properly. Without them, the opinion may be general rather than about your situation.
Can CION help us put the file together?
Yes. When you contact the helpline before a consultation, the team will tell you which reports and images to bring and help you work out what is missing. One helpline serves every CION centre, so you do not need to know which centre to call first.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Managing Cancer Costs and Medical Information
- American Cancer Society — Living as a Liver Cancer Survivor
- National Cancer Institute — Liver Cancer Diagnosis
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma HCC)
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Getting your medical records and reports copiedHow to ask a hospital or lab for copiesCarrying your scans between hospitalsKeeping images usable when care movesHow to prepare for a liver cancer consultationWhat to bring and what to askThe liver cancer pathway from first scan to treatmentWhere the file is used at each step
Talk to us
Not sure which reports to bring?
Tell us what you have and we will tell you what a consultation or second opinion will need, and help you work out what is missing. One helpline serves every CION centre.