Liver Cancer

What is Liver Cancer?

Liver cancer includes Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which is the most common type of liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer). This type of cancer starts in your liver. It can occur at any age and affects both males and females.

The most common symptoms include enlargement of your liver and a feeling of fullness in your abdomen without any apparent reason.

One of the most important deciding factors for its treatment is identifying the stage of your liver cancer.

Causes of Liver Cancer

Liver is one of the most important organs of your body. It performs important functions such as removal of toxins from your body, protein and fat digestion, maintaining sugar levels in your blood and producing blood clotting factors.

A cancer in your liver can adversely affect any of these functions.

A list of possible causes for liver cancer:

• Viral Hepatitis – Types B and C infect and cause damage to your liver.
• Gender – The incidence of cancer in men is more than in women. This is related to negative lifestyles including excessive smoking and alcohol consumption.
• Obesity – Chances of getting liver cancer increase in people who are overweight.
• Diabetes - If you have diabetes along with risk factors like heavy alcohol consumption and hepatitis, the risk of getting liver cancer increases.
• Hereditary Condition - Inherited disease including cystic fibrosis increase liver cancer risks.
• Cirrhosis - Those suffering from cirrhosis (damage of liver cells) are at a greater risk of developing liver cancer.
• Aflatoxins – Are substances produced by fungus and found in rice, wheat, corn, soya bean, peanuts and groundnuts. Long term consumption of items containing aflatoxins can expose you to a greater risk of developing liver cancer.

Primary liver cancer forms in your liver tissues. Cancer spreading from other parts of your body to the liver is secondary liver cancer. The most prominent among causes of liver cancer is Hepatitis B virus infection.

Symptoms of Liver Cancer

Often, there may be an absence of liver cancer symptoms in the early stage. But when symptoms do appear, it is given to understand that your cancer has reached an advanced stage.

The symptoms can resemble other conditions and diseases and not be specific. Liver cancer causes symptoms that can be very diverse, and can differ among individuals.

Treatment for Liver Cancer

If initial stage of liver cancer is diagnosed and treated early, you have an improved chance for a cure.

Liver cancer treatment can vary as per individual cases. The type and stage of your liver cancer is also taken into consideration along with your age, health status, medical history, other underlying conditions or disease among other factors.

Treatment for liver cancer that has not spread to surrounding regions of your liver can include a liver transplant from a healthy donor.

The other option involves removal of the cancerous tumor and the surrounding tissue through surgery.

Advanced stages of liver cancer are treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or through cryosurgery.

Chemotherapy involves a mix of multiple toxic drugs and substances which are injected into the tumor to destroy and kill the tumor.

Radiation therapy makes uses of radioactive elements to curb further malignant tumor growth.

Cryosurgery uses metal probes to freeze and destroy the cancerous cells.