2015-07-15

What is liver cancer?

There are two types of liver cancer, primary and secondary. Primary liver cancer is cancer that begins in liver cells. The most common form of primary liver cancer in adults is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which begins in the main type of liver cell called the hepatocyte. Secondary or metastatic liver cancer is cancer that has started in another part of the body and has spread to the liver.

The information here is about primary liver cancer.

Risk Factors

The exact causes of primary liver cancer are not known, but some factors can increase the risk:

Cirrhosis
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Chronic hepatitis B or C infection
Diabetes
Sustained excessive alcohol consumption
Obesity

Signs and Symptoms

Upper abdominal pain
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Jaundice (yellowing of skin or whites of eyes)
Weight loss
Swelling in the abdomen
Fatigue
Itching

Diagnosis

A number of tests and procedures can be used to diagnose liver cancer:

Imaging tests such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) produce images of the inside of the body
Biopsy is often the only certain way to confirm that liver cancer is present. It can also tell whether the liver cancer is primary or secondary

Liver Cancer Treatment
Treatment varies according to a few important factors: type of the liver cancer, stage of the cancer, health of the rest of the liver and overall health. Treatment options may include:

Thermal ablation
Tumor embolization
Radiation therapy
Targeted therapy
Chemotherapy

Sometimes, doctors may recommend a combination of more than one of these treatments.

Disclaimer:

* All research and clinical data should be used as reference purposes only, results may vary.

Tags:

Liver Cancer Cancer

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