Liver cancer begins in the cells of your liver. Liver cancer is a life-threatening illness and one of the fastest growing cancer type. Most primary liver cancer is cancer in your liver and cancer in bile ducts in your liver. Both cancer types have common causes, risk factors, symptoms and treatments. Healthcare providers focus on identifying who might be at increased risk so they can catch and treat primary liver cancer as early as possible.
Symptoms of liver cancer
Most people with liver cancer have no symptoms in the early stages. However, if you have symptoms, they may include:
A lump below your rib cage or pain on the right side of your abdomen, or pain near your right shoulder.
- Jaundice (a disease that causes skin and eyes to yellow).
- Unexplained weight loss, nausea, or loss of appetite.
- Fatigue.
- Dark-colored urine
The five stages of liver cancer are:
Stage 0: The tumor has not reached the hepatic parenchyma.
Stage I: The tumor is confined to one lobe of the liver and/or in a limited number of regional lymph nodes.
Stage II: The tumor has spread to involve at least one lobe of the liver as well as regional lymph nodes.
Stage III: The tumor has spread beyond the liver and/or to involve more than two organs (lungs, bone marrow, etc.), or it has spread to vital structures such as lungs.
Stage IV: The cancer has spread to distant sites (e.g., brain, bones, etc.)
Liver cancer risk factors
The liver is a complex organ that performs thousands of functions throughout your body. The liver is also known as the detoxification organ, because it helps your body eliminate harmful substances from your body. When something goes wrong with this process, it can lead to several diseases, including liver cancer.
The following are some of the liver cancer risk factors:
- Age: Liver cancer is most common among people aged 50 and older. It is more common in men than women.
- Ethnicity: Liver cancer is more common in men than women and has been linked to African-American ethnicity and Asian ethnicity.
- Family history: People who have a family history of hepatitis C have an increased risk of developing liver cancer.
- Genes: Certain genetic mutations increase the risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
When it comes to liver cancer, the most important thing is finding the right liver cancer treatment. This can be a difficult process, as many treatments have similar side effects and don’t work for everyone. The treatment of liver cancer is similar to that of other cancers. The goal of treatment is to control symptoms, prevent additional complications, and prolong life. Liver cancer can be treated with surgery or chemotherapy.
Treatment options available today include:
- Drugs such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy
- Hepatic artery embolization (HAE)
- Hepatic artery infusion (HAI)
- Targeted therapy with drugs such as sorafenib or erlotinib
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