Liver Cancer

The major functions of liver are the digestion of fats and proteins, removal of toxins which are present in the human body, production of chemicals that prevent the clotting of blood as well as the releasing of bile to enhance the digestion process.

The cancer which affects the liver is known as liver cancer and it is a very critical condition. Liver cancer is of two types:

The primary liver cancer has its starting point is the liver itself. The primary cause of primary liver cancer is the hepatocellular carcinoma or HCC for short. The initiating point of this type of cancer is the hepatocytes.

Another type of primary liver cancer is cholagiocarcinoma which otherwise is known as cancer of bile duct.

The secondary liver cancer is where the cancer spreads from some other part of the body that already has cancer. This condition is known as metastasising.

The hepatocellular cancer can be prevented by moderating the intake of alcohol, avoiding conditions which may lead to Hepatitis C as well as avoiding sex that is not protected.

Symptoms

Generally a person notices the symptoms associated with HCC only when the condition is in its advanced stage. The symptoms associated with HCC are nausea or a sensation to vomit, vomitting, a pain that starts in the abdomen and radiates to the right shoulder, appetite loss, loss of weight, tiredness, weakness, abdominal swelling as well as development of jaundice, causing the eyes as well as the skin to turn yellow.

Causes

The primary causes of the cancer affecting the hepatocytes or the cells of the liver are not yet known. But one factor that leads to the development of hepatocellular cancer is the presence of liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of the liver is a condition where the healthy tissues of the liver are irreversibly destroyed.

Even though alcohol abuse is the major cause of cirrhosis-related hepatocellular cancer, viral infections like hepatitis C as well as hepatitis B which are borne via blood can also contribute to the development of this type of hepatocellular cancer.

The contributors of cirrhosis-associated hepatocellular cancer are intake of alcohol in excessive quantities, development of Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B, presence of autoimmune hepatitis, which is a genetic condition of a rare nature and presence of haemochromatosis where the absorption of iron from the food is above the normal required quantity.

One form of non-cirrhosis –associated hepatocellular cancer is Fibrolamellar carcinoma. Only a part of the liver is affected which must be removed.

Treatment

The HCC can receive cure only if it is in its initial stages. The following sets of options which are available for treatment are just for soothing the symptoms associated with the pain:

Surgical resection can be done if the damage that has happened to the liver is very minimal. This is an option if the affected part is also very small.

Liver transplantation is a viable option if the tumour is just 2 inches. Immunosuppressant is administered to protect the new liver from being attacked by the immune system.

Treatments for non-curable HCC are:

• Ablative therapy
• Chemoembolisation, type of chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• Analgesics for relieving the pain