Secondary Liver Cancer

Any kind of a abnormal growth that is found in the liver is known as liver cancer. This growth could be something that originated in the liver or it could have started in some other organ and then metastasized to the liver. When the cancer originates in some other organ and then affects the liver, it is known as secondary liver cancer or metastatic liver cancer. Given below are the various causes, symptoms, and treatment options for this condition.

Causes
This cancer is caused due to the spread of a primary cancer that is present elsewhere in the body. The most common sources of cancer that may spread to the liver include cancer of the lung, kidney, breast, colon and stomach. In almost half the cases that are reported of secondary liver cancer have their origins in colorectal cancer. However, at times, the origin of secondary liver cancer cannot be traced. The reason why the liver can be affected by cancer that may have its origin in different organs is because the liver is an organ that has one of the richest blood supply in the body. This is the reason why it may easily become a target for metastasis of cancer that has its origin in some other organ.

Symptoms
Unfortunately, the initial symptoms of this type of cancer are very generic, which is the reason why more often than not, this condition is diagnosed only later when the symptoms develop or become serious. The various symptoms of this condition include unexplained weight loss, nausea and loss of appetite, etc. Sometimes, there may be an enlarged spleen and liver. This enlargement may be the cause of fullness in the abdomen and may even lead to radiating pain in other parts of the body. There may be jaundice, due to back flow of bile into the bloodstream. In severe cases, the person may even show ascites symptoms due to congestion of veins and blood vessels in the abdominal region.

Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis of this cancer is done on the basis of tests like alkaline phosphatase tests, an ultrasound, CT scan, etc. Even on physical examination, an abnormally large liver will be felt on palpation. To ensure that the right treatment plan is formulated, it is important to understand whether the cancer is secondary in nature or is primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Hence, for this purpose, a needle biopsy is also needed in most cases. In the end, the exhibited symptoms and treatment planned go hand in hand.

Chemotherapy is often resorted, so as to shrink the size of the tumor and prolong the life of the patient. The chemotherapy drugs are usually directly injected into the hepatic artery, so as to maximize the effect of the medications. Radiation therapy serves little purpose as it only helps to alleviate the pain. In case the tumor is clearly demarcated and does not involve the adjacent tissues, then surgical resection of the tumor can be done. However, unfortunately, multiple metastatic lesions are more commonly seen when compared to single lesions, so surgery is not always a very feasible option.

Prognosis
The metastatic liver cancer prognosis depends on various factors, like extent of tumor, severity of the symptoms exhibited, etc. The fact that there is a secondary cancer prevalent in the body itself is not a very encouraging sign, because this in itself proves that since the cancer has spread from a primary source, now other organs are at risk. Hence, one needs to not only treat the metastatic liver cancer, but also try and aggressively treat the primary cancer in the body. Hence, the life expectancy will depend on various factors like the original organ affected, the stage at which the cancer has reached in the first organ, etc.

Life Expectancy
Given below is a table that roughly shows the metastatic liver cancer life expectancy or survival rates.

Treatment	1 Year Rate	3 Year Rate	5 Year Rate
Chemotherapy and None	13%	3%	0%
Chemoembolization	55%	26%	13%
Hepatectomy	72%	58%	58%
Liver Transplant	81%	74%	74%

This is a serious condition and is even more alarming as it clearly indicates that there is cancer in the body that is spreading fast. Hence, it is of paramount importance that once cancer is diagnosed anywhere in the body, the person must seek complete treatment and go for regular checkups to keep a tab on its progress.