Liver Cancer: Causes, Stages, Symptoms and Treatment Center for surgery of the liver and biliary tract and pancreas
Primary liver cancer is a life-threatening disease and one of the fastest growing cancers in the world, primary liver cancer is generally a cancer in the liver and a cancer in the bile ducts of the liver.
Both types of cancer have common causes, risk factors, symptoms, and treatments.
Health care providers focus on identifying who may be at increased risk of developing this disease so that they can treat it as soon as possible.
What is liver cancer
There are two types of liver cancer: primary and secondary where the primary cancer starts in the liver while the secondary cancer spreads to the liver from another part of the body.
Like many cancers, health care providers can do more to treat liver cancer during the early stage of the disease.
Unlike many types of cancer, health care providers have a good idea of what increases someone’s risk of developing liver cancer.
Healthcare providers are determined to identify who may be at an increased risk of primary liver cancer and begin their treatment journey.
Types of primary liver cancer
There are three types of primary liver cancer as follows:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): this is the most common type of liver cancer, accounting for almost all cases of liver cancer.
- Intrahepatic carcinoma (IHC): this is a form of bile duct cancer and accounts for about 10% to 20% of all cases of primary liver cancer.
- Hepatic hemangioma hemangioma: this type is very rare, accounting for about 1% of all cases of primary liver cancer. This cancer begins in the lining of blood cells in the liver. (Angiosarcoma may also affect other organs.)
How liver cancer affects the human body
The liver is the largest organ in the body, it is the organ that helpsto digest food and is also considered one of the most important organs in the human body, since no one can live without his liver. Some liver functions include:
- Collection and filtration of blood flowing from the intestine.
- Processing and storage of nutrients absorbed by the intestine.
- Change some nutrients into energy or substances that the body needs to build tissues.
- It secretes bile and is a liquid that helps digest fats.
- Digestion and storage of other nutrients from food such as sugarwhich provides the body with energy.
- It synthesizes substances that help blood to clot.
hat is the main cause of liver cancer
Liver cancer occurs when something affects the DNA of healthy liver cells where DNA carries genes that tell the body’s cells how to work. We all have genes that tell cells when to grow, multiply and die.
For example, carcinogenic genes help cells grow and divide. Other genes, called tumor suppressor genes, monitor cell activity, prevent cells from multiplying and make sure cancer cells die when they are supposed to die.
When DNA mutates or changes, our cells get new instructions. But in liver cancer, DNA changes lead to the functioning of carcinogenic genes and the decommissioning of tumor suppressor genes.
For example, studies show that cirrhosis associated with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus account for more than half of all liver cancer cases. When these viruses infect liver cells, they change the DNA of cells, turning healthy liver cells into cancer cells.
What are the symptoms of liver cancer
When liver cancer is in its early stages, you may not have any symptoms at all. Liver Cell Carcinoma (HCC) and Intraclipal Bile Duct Cancer (IHC) have similar symptoms including:
- A lump under the rib cage or pain in the right side of the abdomen, or pain near the right shoulder.
- Jaundice (a disease that turns the skin and eyes yellow)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Dark color of urine
What are the early warning signs of liver cancer?
Unfortunately, a person can get liver cancer very early without any symptoms. If you know that you are at risk of developing liver cancer, talk to your doctor about tests to monitor the liver and possibly detect liver cancer in the early stages.
How doctors diagnose liver cancer
Your doctor may suspect that you have liver cancer if he finds signs and symptoms of liver cancer during a physical examination and may order the following tests to confirm that you have:
Blood tests: blood tests for cancer, such as a liver function test, are done to check for liver enzymes, proteins, and other substances that show whether the liver is healthy or damaged. They may test for alpha-fetoprotein (AFB). Elevated levels of AFB may indicate liver cancer.
Sonography: this test provides images of soft tissue structures as doctors use ultrasound to look for liver tumors.
Computed tomography ( CT): this special type of X-ray takes detailed images of the liver, providing information about the size and location of the liver tumor.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): this test produces very clear images of your body using a large magnet, radio waves and a computer.
Angiography: this test helps doctors to examine the blood vessels of the liver. During this test, the doctor injects the dye into the artery so that he can track the activity of the blood vessels and look for blockages.
Biopsy: the doctor removes liver tissue to look for signs of cancer. Biopsies are the most reliable way to confirm the diagnosis of liver cancer.
The doctor may do the following tests if he thinks you may have liver cancer (IHC):
Endoscopic pancreatic and biliary cholangiography (ERCP): this imaging uses an endoscope and catheters (thin, flexible tubes) to examine the bile ducts.
Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC): this recommendation makes use of X-rays of the bile ducts. As an alternative to using an endoscope and a catheter, the specialist delivers a contrast dye by inserting a needle directly into the bile ducts and liver.
Usually this shooting is only for people for whom it cannot be suitable (ERCP).
What are the stages of liver cancer
Doctors evaluate liver cancer by its characteristics, including whether the liver is working well or not, the size of the tumor and its symptoms, specialists also use different terms for each stage of the disease as several stages from the first to the fourth or by other terms such as early and advanced stage of liver cancer.
The stages of liver cancer include:
- Stage I (very early stage): one tumor in the liver measuring less than 2 cm where blood tests show that your bilirubin level is normal.
- Stage II (early stage): a single tumor measuring 5 cm or less or the patient has more than one tumor measuring less than 3 cm. The tumor may have spread to the blood vessels.
- Stage III (intermediate stage): at this stage, there may be more than one tumor or a tumor measuring more than 5 cm. The tumor may have spread to lymph nodes, large blood vessels, or any other organ.
- Stage IV (advanced stage): the cancer has spread to other places in the body, such as the lungs or bones, as well as lymph nodes.
Treatment of Liver Cancer
Doctors have several common treatments for liver cancer, including:
- Surgery to remove part of the liver
- Liver transplantation
- Liver-oriented therapies such as hepatic arterial embolization and resection
- Chemotherapy and chemoembolism
- Radiation therapy and radiation embolism
- Immunotherapy and targeted therapy.
How liver cancer can be prevented
While a person cannot fully prevent liver cancer but can do the following to reduce the chances of liver cancer:
Avoid behaviors that lead to cirrhosis of the liver.
Reach or maintain a healthy weight.
Get hepatitis B vaccine. This vaccine is safe for almost everyone.
Avoid hepatitis C.
If you have any liver disease, diabetes, obesity, or heavy alcohol, ask your doctor for liver cancer tests.
What is liver cancer screening
You can get liver cancer in its very early stages without symptoms. Liver cancer screening is the way health care providers monitor liver health for signs of liver cancer.
Although there are no standard liver cancer screening tests, your health care provider may recommend ultrasound and blood tests every six months.
Can liver cancer be cured
Successful liver transplants can cure liver cancer, but not everyone who needs a liver transplant will be healthy enough to have a transplant or can find a donor.
Studies show that people who have undergone surgery to remove part of the liver tend to live longer than people whose disease prevents surgery.
When that happens, health care providers focus on treatments to help people live with a quality of life for as long as possible.
What is the life expectancy of people with liver cancer
Specialist doctors are keen to make progress in the treatment of liver cancer so that people can live longer, but liver cancer is still a life-threatening disease.
The data show that 35% of people treated for early-stage liver cancer are alive five years after diagnosis while about 12% of people treated for liver cancer that has spread to neighboring tissues organs or lymph nodes are alive five years after diagnosis.
About 3% of people treated for liver cancer that has spread further are alive five years after diagnosis.
The five-year survival rates for intrahepatic bile duct cancer are 24% for bile ducts that have not spread outside the liver, 9% for cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes and 2% for cancer that has spread further.
How to take care of your health if you have liver cancer
Liver cancer and liver cancer treatments negatively affect the body. Some people undergo liver transplants or surgery to remove part of the liver. Other people may need treatment as long as they live.
In both cases, the patient with liver cancer should make regular appointments with the specialist so that he can monitor the progress of treatment and monitor the signs of recurrence of liver cancer (cancer that returns).
For example, people who do not show signs of liver cancer after treatment should plan follow-up imaging and blood tests every three to six months for the first two years after treatment.
If you have been treated for liver cancer, here are some steps you can take that may reduce the risk of recurrent liver cancer:
- Protect yourself from the viruses of hepatitis “B” and hepatitis “C”.
- If you smoke, try to stop. If you need help, ask specialists about smoking cessation programs.
- If you drink alcohol, either reduce or try to stop.
- Eating a healthy diet as liver cancer treatment may only affect your appetite when your body needs nutrition to heal and stay strong. If you are having trouble eating, talk to a nutritionist. They will suggest ways by which you can get the nutrition you need.
- Do some aerobic exercise. Ask your doctor what exercise makes sense given your situation.
- Cancer is stressful, so exercise can relieve some of that stress.
- Get enough rest.get enough rest. Fatigue is a common side effect of liver cancer and its treatment.
Living with liver cancer can be difficult and you may not feel comfortable talking about your illness with others. If this happens, ask the relevant medical team to recommend support groups where you will find people who know what you are going through. Their support and understanding can make a difference.
