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SEER Inquiry System - Report
Produced: 03/30/2026 7:28 PM
Question 20091054
Inquiry Details
References:
2007 SEER Manual, 172
Question:
First course treatment--Liver: Is planned therapy second course therapy if it is administered after documented progression of disease? See Discussion.
Discussion:
A patient with hepatocellular carcinoma of the liver is waiting for a planned liver transplant. During the waiting period, a CT showed an increase in the liver nodule. The physician performed a bridging chemoembolization. Later on, the patient received a liver transplant. Is the liver transplant still first course treatment? Is the chemoembolization part of first course therapy? Per the SEER manual, first course therapy ends when the treatment plan is completed.
Answer:
In this case, neither the chemoembolization nor the liver transplant is part of the first course of therapy. The documented treatment plan was changed after disease progression. Chemoembolization was not part of the original treatment plan. First course therapy ends at this point.
