Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Questions to ask at your first liver cancer appointment | CION Cancer Clinics
Start by asking whether the cancer began in the liver or spread there from another organ, because that one answer shapes every other question. Then ask how healthy the rest of your liver is, what the treatment aims to achieve and who will do each step. This page gives you a ready list, explains the words you will hear and shows how to prepare so the visit is useful. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists explain liver cancer in plain words and plan care around you and your family.
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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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On this page
- What is the first question to ask at a liver cancer appointment?
- What should I ask about the cancer itself?
- What should I ask about the treatment plan?
- How do I prepare so the appointment is useful?
- What do the terms in the room mean?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about the first liver cancer appointment
Start here
What is the first question to ask at a liver cancer appointment?
Ask whether the cancer started in the liver or spread there from somewhere else. Everything else on this page depends on that one answer, and many families never hear it said out loud.
Two different diseases share one name
Primary liver cancer starts in the liver itself. The most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which usually grows in a liver already damaged by hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol or fatty liver disease. Secondary liver cancer, also called liver metastases, began in another organ such as the bowel, breast, lung or pancreas and travelled to the liver. It is treated as the original cancer, not as liver cancer.
Why this matters for your list
If your report says "metastases" or "secondary deposits", read why cancer in the liver is not always liver cancer before your visit. Many of the questions below still help you, but the treatment questions belong to the original cancer. If the doctor has said HCC, cholangiocarcinoma or primary liver cancer, the whole page is for you.
Write the answer to this first question at the top of your notebook. You will refer back to it often.About the diagnosis
What should I ask about the cancer itself?
These questions help you understand what has been found, how sure the team is, and what is still unknown.
How sure are we that this is cancer?
HCC can sometimes be diagnosed from a special scan alone, without a biopsy. Ask whether yours was diagnosed from a scan or from a tissue sample, and whether anything is still uncertain.
What type is it, and where exactly is it?
- Is it HCC, bile duct cancer or something rarer?
- How many tumours are there, and roughly how large?
- Is it close to a major blood vessel?
How healthy is the rest of my liver?
In liver cancer the background liver matters as much as the tumour. Ask whether you have cirrhosis, meaning scarring, and what your Child-Pugh score is. That score is a measure of how well the liver is working.
Has it spread outside the liver?
Ask which scans have checked the chest, the bones and the lymph glands, and whether any further test is planned before a decision.
It is fine to ask, "What stage is this, and which staging system are you using?"Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistAbout treatment
What should I ask about the treatment plan?
What is the goal?
Ask plainly whether the plan has curative intent, aims to control the cancer for as long as possible, or is mainly about comfort. Doctors expect this question and most prefer to be asked it.
What are all the options?
- Surgery, ablation, TACE, radiation, tablets or drips?
- Why is this option recommended over the others?
- Has a tumour board, a meeting of several specialists, reviewed my scans?
Who will do what, and where?
Liver cancer care often involves an oncologist, a hepatologist, a surgeon and an interventional radiologist. Ask who leads your care and where each step takes place.
What will it cost, and is it covered?
Ask for a written, itemised estimate for the whole plan, not one step. Ask whether Aarogyasri, Ayushman Bharat or your insurance can be used, and who helps with the paperwork.
Before you go
How do I prepare so the appointment is useful?
Gather every report
Bring all scans on CD or film, blood test results, any biopsy report and discharge summaries. Arrange them by date, oldest first. Missing reports are the most common reason a first visit cannot reach a decision.
List medicines and habits honestly
Write down every tablet, herbal tonic and supplement you take, and how much alcohol you drink. The doctor needs this to protect your liver, not to judge you.
Write your top three questions
Appointments move fast. Put your three most important questions at the top so they are asked even if time runs short.
Bring one calm person
A son, daughter or friend can take notes while you listen. Read taking someone with you to appointments for ideas on how they can help.
Ask what happens next before you leave
Find out the next test, the next appointment and who to call if something changes in between.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Words you may hear
What do the terms in the room mean?
- HCC
- Hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common cancer that starts in the liver itself.
- Metastases
- Cancer that has spread from another organ. In the liver, this is secondary liver cancer.
- Cirrhosis
- Long-standing scarring of the liver. It affects which treatments are safe.
- Child-Pugh
- A score that shows how well the liver is working, based on blood tests and signs such as fluid in the abdomen.
- BCLC stage
- A staging system that combines the tumour, the liver function and your general fitness to guide treatment.
- AFP
- Alpha-fetoprotein, a blood marker that is raised in some, but not all, people with HCC.
Did you know
You are allowed to ask whether your scans have been discussed at a liver tumour board. At CION, liver cases are reviewed by several specialists together before a plan is confirmed, so the recommendation is not one doctor's view.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which treatment is right for you, or what to expect in your own case. Those answers depend on your scans, your liver function and your general health, and only the team who has seen all three can give them.
Who this list does not suit as written
If your cancer started in the bowel, breast or another organ and has spread to the liver, the treatment questions belong to that cancer. Bowel cancer that has spread to the liver, for example, is covered on colon cancer spread to the liver. If a child has a liver tumour, the questions are different again, and a paediatric oncology team should guide you.
You will not get every answer on day one
Some answers need further scans or a tumour board review. That is normal and not a sign that something is being hidden. Ask when you can expect each answer, and write it down. If the plan still feels unclear, a second opinion is a reasonable step and good doctors will not be offended.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about the first liver cancer appointment
How many questions can I ask?
As many as you need, but put the most important first. If time runs out, ask who you can call with the rest. A short follow-up call or a second visit is often better than rushing through a long list while you are tired and worried.
Should the patient be in the room?
Usually yes, if they are well enough. Decisions about treatment need their consent, and many patients cope better when they hear the facts directly. Families sometimes want to protect the patient from bad news. Talk about this openly with the doctor before the appointment rather than during it.
Can I record the conversation?
Ask the doctor first. Many are happy for you to record so that relatives who could not come can listen later. If recording is not allowed, ask the person with you to write down the key points, especially the diagnosis, the stage and the next step.
What if I do not understand the answer?
Say so, and ask the doctor to explain it again in simpler words or in Telugu if that is easier. Repeating the answer back in your own words is a good check. No good doctor minds being asked to explain something twice.
Should I ask about how long I have?
Only if you want to know. Some people want that conversation early and some never do. Doctors can rarely predict one person's future accurately, and a figure read online does not describe you. You can ask instead what the treatment aims to achieve.
Do I need to see a hepatologist as well as an oncologist?
Often, yes, especially with cirrhosis or hepatitis B or C. The hepatologist looks after the liver itself, while the oncologist treats the cancer. Ask how the two will talk to each other about your care, and who to contact first if you feel unwell.
Should I stop my herbal liver tonic before the visit?
Do not stop or start anything without advice, but do bring the bottle or packet to the appointment. Some herbal products can harm a liver that is already damaged. The doctor needs to know exactly what you take to keep treatment safe.
What if the cancer has spread to the liver from another organ?
Then the oncologist treating the original cancer usually leads the plan, and the questions about type, stage and goal apply to that cancer. Read what a report of liver metastases means, or call the CION helpline and we will point you to the right clinic.
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
- American Cancer Society — Diagnosing Liver Cancer
- Cancer Research UK — Secondary liver cancer
- American Cancer Society — Liver Cancer Stages
- Cancer Research UK — Treatment for liver cancer
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
How to prepare for a liver cancer consultationWhat to bring and how to organise your reportsCancer in the liver does not always mean liver cancerIf your report mentions metastases, start hereWho treats liver cancer: oncologist, hepatologist or surgeon?Which specialist you will meet, and whyQuestions to ask before agreeing to a treatmentThe next list, once a plan is on the table
Talk to us
Would it help to go through your questions with someone first?
Tell us what the scan or report says and we will help you work out what to ask, and which specialist to see. One helpline serves every CION centre.