[Diagnosis of liver tumors--what is necessary for therapy planning?]

For the surgical treatment of liver tumors, two initial steps are necessary: functional operability must be proven and oncological and local inoperability must be ruled out. The diagnostic process consists of a series of steps, beginning with non-invasive procedures such as laboratory findings and sonography, continuing with CT, CTAP, laparoscopy in the case of hepatic cirrhosis, up to explorative laparotomy. The potential operability is re-checked after each step. Punction, MRI and scintigraphy are implemented in special cases. The early implementation of MRI is of particular value for the diagnosis of certain benign processes.