Liver Cancer: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Liver cancer, also known as primary liver cancer, is a cancer that develops in the liver. The liver can be divided into two lobes, the right and the left lobe. The liver is placed below the lung, just under the ribcage. It is made of different types of cells, which include bile ducts, blood vessels and liver cells. The liver cells are known as hepatocytes and account for almost 80% of the liver tissue. In most cases, liver cancer originates in these hepatocytes and is therefore called hepatocellular cancer or hepatoma.

Types of Liver Cancer

Liver cancer can be of different types, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, Hepatoblastoma Cholangiocarcinomas, Angiosarcomas and hemangiosarcomas.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma: This type of liver cancer is most commonly found to affect the younger population, and it develops in the liver cells (hepatocytes).

Hepatoblastoma: In hepatoblastoma, majority of the cancerous tumors develop in the right lobe of the liver, and is more prevalent among the children.

Cholangiocarcinomas: This type of cancer originates in the bile ducts of the liver, which are responsible for transporting bile to the gall bladder.

Angiosarcomas and hemangiosarcomas: This liver cancer arises in the blood vessels and is characterized by the rapid growth of cancerous cells. It is a rare, but grave disease.

Secondary liver cancer: Sometimes, the cancer that originates in other parts of the body spreads to the liver. This type of liver cancer is known as secondary liver cancer.

Causes

One of the most important risk factors of liver cancer is the hepatitis B infection. Among the patients of hepatitis B, men who have the hepatitis B cirrhosis are more likely to be affected by liver cancer. On the basis of several studies, it has been suspected that the specific genome of the hepatitis B virus is inserted into the genetic material of the liver cells, which makes them cancerous. Besides, an hepatitis C virus infection can also cause liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus causes liver cirrhosis (damage of the liver cells and their replacement with scar tissue), which can lead to cancer.

Excessive consumption of alcohol can also cause liver cirrhosis, which increases the risk of liver cancer. In addition to that, the female hormone estrogen and steroid can stimulate the development of hepatic adenomas, which are generally non-cancerous tumors. But, they can become malignant in some instances and cause cancer. Hereditary hemochromatosis (excessive accumulation of iron in the body) is also associated with liver cancer as it causes liver cirrhosis.

Symptoms

Symptoms of liver cancer can be variable, the most common of which is abdominal pain. In patients of liver cirrhosis, it can produce symptoms like sudden unexplained weight loss, jaundice, deposition of abdominal fluid and the resultant swelling, weakness, fatigue and bloating.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The diagnosis of liver cancer is quite complicated. There is no accurate blood test to detect the disease. The most commonly used blood test is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test, where the level of alpha-fetoprotein, (a protein mainly manufactured by the immature liver cells of the fetus) is checked. The level of this protein is usually high in infants and gradually decreases with age. A high level of this protein in adults, can be an indication of liver cancer. However, its level can be high in pregnant women too, even without liver cancer. In addition, the help of ultrasound, CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are also taken to ensure a proper diagnosis.

Treatment of liver cancer depends on the stage at which it is detected. For a small solitary tumor, either a liver transplantation is performed or the tumor is removed by surgery. Besides, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and radiosurgery are also used in the treatment of liver cancer.

The early detection of liver cancer plays an important role in its proper treatment. So, the people who fall under the high risk zone should be more vigilant. Besides, some risk factors such as excessive alcohol consumption can be kept under control to prevent the occurrence of the disease.