Liver metastases
Surgical treatment of metastases of colorectal origin and from other primary tumors.
Reviewed by Prof. Fabrizio Panaro · Updated: April 30, 2026
Specialty
Liver tumors
At Quenet-Torrent Institute we treat liver tumors with liver surgery, parenchyma-sparing techniques and a multidisciplinary board that decides the treatment.
CONTACT SPECIALIST
Clinical summary
Liver tumors (primary: hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and metastases) are treated with anatomical liver resection, ALPPS or two-stage hepatectomy in borderline cases. At Quenet-Torrent Institute (Teknon Barcelona · Memorial Publio Cordón Madrid), Prof. Fabrizio Panaro leads the area together with Dr. Quenet and Dr. Torrent, using parenchyma-sparing techniques.
What are liver tumors?
Liver tumors include both primary tumors of the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) and liver metastases from other cancers, the most common being those of colorectal origin.
The liver is often affected by metastases because of its rich blood supply. Even so, many patients with disease confined to the liver can benefit from curative treatment.
Liver surgery has changed a great deal and today allows more complex resections with parenchyma-sparing techniques and liver regeneration.
Symptoms of liver tumors
Liver tumors usually progress silently in their early stages, which makes early diagnosis difficult. When signs appear, the most common are pain or discomfort in the right upper abdomen, abdominal swelling, weight and appetite loss, progressive tiredness and, in advanced cases, jaundice, with yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Sometimes the patient notices a feeling of a mass or fullness in the upper abdomen, with nausea. Since these symptoms are non-specific and can be attributed to other causes, it is advisable to see a specialist with any combination of them, especially if there is a history of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis or a previous cancer elsewhere, since the liver is a common target for metastases.
Causes and risk factors of liver tumors
In primary liver tumors, the main risk factors are cirrhosis and chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis B or C virus infection, prolonged alcohol consumption, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis associated with obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Liver metastases have a different origin: they are the result of a primary cancer in another organ spreading and reaching the liver through the portal or systemic circulation. Tumors of digestive origin, in particular colorectal cancer, are the ones that most often produce liver metastases, although they can also come from the pancreas, stomach, gallbladder or neuroendocrine tumors, among others.
Liver conditions we treat
Our unit treats the main oncological conditions of the liver.
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Primary liver tumor, common in patients with cirrhosis.
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Tumor of the bile ducts inside the liver.
Benign liver tumors
Adenomas, hemangiomas and other lesions that may require surgery.
Why ask for a second opinion on liver tumors?
A second opinion can change the treatment options and, with them, the prognosis.
Confirm resectability
Confirm whether a tumor considered unresectable can be operated on with high-complexity techniques.
Assess complex strategies
Assess options such as two-stage surgery, portal vein embolization or ALPPS.
Evaluate combined treatments
Consider neoadjuvant chemotherapy, ablation or stereotactic radiotherapy.
Optimize liver function
Plan surgery to preserve as much functional liver tissue as possible.
Many patients considered inoperable can benefit from a specialized assessment.
How do we treat liver tumors?
Surgical treatment is the best curative option for many liver tumors.
Anatomical hepatectomies
Resection of liver segments or sectors following the vascular anatomy.
Limited resections
Parenchyma-sparing techniques for superficial tumors.
Two-stage surgery
A strategy for bilobar tumors that allows the liver to regenerate.
ALPPS
A high-complexity technique to achieve rapid liver growth in complex cases.
Each operation is planned with volumetric and functional precision to operate safely and with adequate margins.
Our technology
Technology for liver surgery
These are the techniques we use to plan and perform liver surgery.
3D liver volumetry
Precise planning of the liver remnant after resection.
Intraoperative ultrasound
Real-time identification of tumors and vascular structures.
Laparoscopy and robotics
Minimally invasive approach in selected cases.
Radiofrequency/microwave ablation
Percutaneous or intraoperative tumor destruction.
Portal vein embolization
Induces growth of the future liver remnant.
WHY CHOOSE US?
Experience in oncological liver surgery
Quenet-Torrent Institute treats liver tumors with a team experienced in complex cases.
Experience in complex cases
We focus on advanced and metastatic cancer, with techniques such as two-stage hepatectomy, ALPPS or portal vein embolization, which not every center offers.
Comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach
Surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, nutritionists and psychologists review your case together.
Research
We follow the published scientific evidence and review our protocols when new data appear.
Surgical technology
We have 3D liver volumetry, intraoperative ultrasound, laparoscopy and robotics, ablation and portal vein embolization to plan and perform each resection.
Personal, close care
We explain each step of the treatment and answer your questions throughout the process.
Conditions related to liver tumors
Specialized treatment for primary tumors and liver metastases.
Liver metastases
Surgical treatment of metastases of colorectal, ovarian, gastric and other primary origins.
More information about liver metastasesProcedures for liver tumors
High-complexity surgical techniques for treating liver tumors.
Liver resections
Anatomical hepatectomies and parenchyma-sparing resections with 3D planning.
More information about liver resectionsRobotic surgery
Minimally invasive approach in selected cases, with a faster recovery.
More information about robotic surgeryTechniques with interventional radiology
Portal vein embolization, radiofrequency ablation and other combined techniques.
More information about techniques with interventional radiology
Our team
Liver surgery specialists
Surgeons and oncologists on the team who treat liver tumors.
Dr. François Quenet
Oncological surgeon
View doctor: Dr. François Quenet"Surgeon with expertise in gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary tumors and in highly difficult operations."
Dr. Juan José Torrent
Oncological surgeon
View doctor: Dr. Juan José Torrent"Specialist in gynecological tumors, peritoneal carcinomatosis and complex oncological surgery."
Prof. Fabrizio Panaro
Hepatobiliopancreatic surgeon
View doctor: Prof. Fabrizio PanaroProfessor of Surgery at the University of Montpellier and surgeon at the Montpellier Medical Center. His fields of work are liver, bile duct and pancreatic surgery, liver transplantation and robotic surgery, with particular focus on hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases. More than 200 scientific publications.
Dr. Carlos Rodríguez-Otero Luppi
General and digestive surgeon
View doctor: Dr. Carlos Rodríguez-Otero LuppiSpecialist in general and digestive surgery, trained at Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona. PhD from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Fellow of the European Board of Surgery in minimally invasive surgery (F.E.B.S. M.I.S.), with a focus on the laparoscopic and robotic approach to digestive tumors.
Dr. Clara Montagut
Medical oncologist
View doctorHead of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Section at Hospital del Mar and deputy director of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute. She works in liquid biopsy and in the systemic treatment of liver metastases of digestive origin.
Frequently asked questions about liver tumors
Answers to the most common questions about diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
Can liver metastases be operated on?
Yes, in many cases. Surgery for liver metastases can be curative, especially for those of colorectal origin, where five-year survival after complete resection exceeds 40%. The fact that one center has considered them inoperable does not mean they are inoperable for an experienced team.
How much of the liver can be removed?
The liver has an enormous capacity to regenerate: up to 70-80% can be removed as long as the remaining liver is healthy and has a good blood supply. What limits the resection is not how much is removed, but how much remains and in what condition, especially if it has received a lot of chemotherapy.
What is portal vein embolization?
It is a technique that blocks the portal vein on the side that is going to be removed. The healthy side then receives more blood flow and grows over the following weeks until it reaches a sufficient volume. It allows patients to be operated on safely who would otherwise be left with too little liver.
Can it be operated on laparoscopically?
Yes, in selected cases. Laparoscopic liver surgery reduces pain and hospital stay, but it requires a very high level of specialization, because controlling bleeding is harder than in open surgery. The location of the lesions and the size of the resection determine whether the approach is feasible.
How long does recovery take?
The hospital stay is usually 5 to 10 days and full recovery takes between 4 and 8 weeks, depending on the size of the resection. The liver regains its volume within a few weeks. Discharge is decided by how liver function evolves, not by a fixed timeline.
What is ALPPS?
It is a two-stage surgical technique that makes the healthy liver grow very quickly, in a matter of days instead of weeks. It allows tumors to be operated on that were initially unresectable because too little liver would remain. It is reserved for specific cases, because its risk is higher than that of other strategies.
When is radiofrequency ablation used?
It is used for small tumors, for deep lesions that are difficult to reach surgically and in patients who cannot tolerate a resection. It can also be combined with surgery in the same operation, treating the lesions on one side with ablation and resecting those on the other to preserve more healthy liver.
Is a second opinion necessary?
It is highly advisable, especially if you have been told the tumor is unresectable. Resectability is not a fixed property of the tumor: it depends on the team's experience and the techniques available to it, such as portal vein embolization or two-stage surgery. A second opinion can change the plan.
Where can I receive this treatment safely?
At centers with proven experience in oncological liver surgery and enough case volume. It is worth asking whether the team routinely performs major resections and whether it has interventional radiology for techniques such as portal vein embolization. That combination is what widens the surgical options.
Where to treat liver tumors?
We operate in two private hospitals in Spain. The same medical team treats you in Madrid and in Barcelona, with the same surgical and oncological protocols.
Madrid
Memorial Publio Cordón Hospital
Private hospital in Pozuelo de Alarcón with a multidisciplinary team specialised in digestive surgical oncology.
View Memorial Publio Cordón Hospital
Barcelona
Centro Médico Teknon
Private hospital in Barcelona where the team performs high-complexity surgical oncology.
View Centro Médico Teknon
Real cases
Patients treated by the Quenet Torrent team
Real testimonies from patients treated by our team in high-complexity surgical oncology.
Debra's case
66-year-old English woman with advanced ovarian cancer and peritoneal metastases. Treated with cytoreduction + HIPEC, she is now disease-free.
Read the full caseRosario (Charo)'s case
73-year-old patient with advanced cancer treated with chemotherapy and high-complexity surgical oncology, with good survival and quality of life.
Read the full caseFelipe's case
A mistaken diagnosis of terminal colon cancer that a second opinion revealed to be pseudomyxoma peritonei, treatable with cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC.
Read the full caseSantiago's case
Diagnosed with widespread peritoneal carcinomatosis and considered inoperable. After complete cytoreduction with HIPEC, today his is a story of survival.
Read the full case
Verified reviews
See on Google
4.5/5
What our patients say
L
4 weeks ago
5/5
Wonderful surgical team, among the best out there. Dr. Torrent (expert in peritoneal carcinomatosis) is an exceptional surgeon and an even better person. His coordinator is super kind, fast and efficient. The personal care is excellent and so are the results. This is of vital importance for cancer patients.
K
5 months ago
5/5
In the public healthcare system they gave my father a maximum of one year to live. They only offered him chemo and no hope, said it was impossible, that nothing could be done. He had several tumors inside the peritoneal sac with metastases. A year and a half later he is clean, completely cured. His latest PET scan came back clean. We are very happy. Thanks to Dr. Torrent and his team. THANK YOU.
M
A year ago
5/5
Excellent professionals, especially Dr. Torrent, attentive at all times to the patient (my wife), operated for peritoneal pseudomyxoma. They helped us with all our needs since we came from outside Barcelona. Thank you Elisabeth. We are very grateful to Quenet Torrent Institute, thank you for everything.
P
2 years ago
5/5
I am a 63-year-old patient. They detected adrenal gland cancer and told me there was nothing to be done. I sought a second opinion and they told me about the Quenet Torrent team, specialists in complex operations. Dr. Torrent, from the first moment, told me they could operate. They operated and removed a large tumor mass. I spent a week in the ICU and a month on the ward. Every day he came morning and evening, no matter Saturday or Sunday. Never throw in the towel. I am happy to have found these professionals who gave me my life back. Thank you.
I
3 years ago
5/5
Many thanks for your attention. Dr. Torrent always attentive, involved and decisive. The reception staff very pleasant and always offering the best option. 100% RECOMMENDED. THANK YOU.
M
5 years ago
5/5
Dr. Torrent helped me make the best decision at a difficult moment. I think he is a great professional and a person capable of accompanying you and putting himself in another's shoes. Thank you for everything.
F
6 years ago
5/5
I have peritoneal carcinomatosis. When I sent my diagnosis to every center, practically all of them agreed on palliative chemo with little survival time, since I had a very aggressive type of cell. Until we reached Dr. Quenet, Dr. Torrent and their team. I can only confirm what their CV announces: they are far ahead of the rest. They saved my life, because during the operation the harmful cells that everyone had diagnosed, and that were the reason nobody would operate on me, were not there. This intervention has become the best investment of my life.
M
6 years ago
5/5
The best decision of my life was finding this excellent team of surgeons who saved my husband's life. At a prestigious international clinic in Madrid he was given up for lost with advanced peritoneal carcinomatosis from appendiceal cancer, and thanks to them, the best professionals in this field, he was operated on very successfully. A perfect recovery with no complications, because they were on top of his progress at all times. They have a great quality: from the start they were very honest and close. I can only be deeply grateful; we went to buy time and thanks to them my husband got his life back.
E
7 years ago
5/5
Dr. Torrent is a brilliant surgeon and a very approachable and warm doctor, whose manner reveals all the qualities that make him a great person and professional: perseverance, innate curiosity and a desire to learn, humility, sincerity and empathy. Going through an operation is undoubtedly an intense experience, physically and emotionally, in which anxieties arise and you feel very vulnerable. All of that is normal, and as his former patient I can say that his care and professionalism throughout the process were absolutely exceptional. I felt very supported by him, with the confidence of knowing I was in the best hands. I will always be grateful to him. Moltes gràcies Dr. Torrent!
Related articles
Liver metastases: can they be operated on? Resectability criteria
Resection is the only potentially curative treatment for liver metastases. What makes a case operable, and what to do if you have been told it is not.
Can you live with (and even be cured of) liver metastases?
When liver metastases are diagnosed, the first question is: can you live with this disease? The answer is yes, and in selected cases a cure is possible.
Hepatic Arterial Infusion (HAI): from unresectable liver metastases to surgery
Dr. François Quenet takes part in a phase II trial published in JCO 2026 on hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy after surgery for colorectal liver metastases. We review the current indications for HAI.
Easy Contact
Need to speak with a specialist?
Complete the form and schedule your appointment to speak directly with the surgeon.