Types of Liver Cancer

Liver is an important organ of the body, located under the diaphragm, in the right side of the abdominal cavity. Liver plays an important role in metabolism process. It filters the blood and regulates the blood sugar level. Malfunctioning of the liver causes severe problems.

Liver cancer starts with a tumor inside the liver, which is an uncontrolled growth of the body cells. In a healthy liver, the cells multiply in a definite and controlled manner without interrupting the surrounding cells. When any of the hepatocytes (liver cells), the bile duct cells, or the blood vessels within the liver grow uncontrollably, it results in the formation of a tumor.

Tumors are of two types, benign and malignant. Benign tumors are surrounded by a cell wall, because of which they cannot obtrude other surrounding tissues. Whereas, malignant tumors are capable of disturbing other tissues. Malignant tumors not only damage other tissues, but also spread to other body parts. This type of tumor is observed more in men than women. People above 40 years of age have more chances of developing this cancer. Liver cancer is generally of two types, primary and secondary liver cancer.

Primary Liver Cancer
Primary liver cancer develops from the benign tumors. It is the most common type of cancer. Most of the growths in the liver such as hemangiomas, focal nodular hyperplasia, hepatic adenomas are usually benign, that is, non-cancerous. Chronic kidney disease, hepatitis B or C, some toxins, viral infections of the liver can cause primary liver cancer. It is further divided into three types.

• Hepatocellular Carcinoma or Hepatoma: Uncontrolled growth of hepatocyte cells in the liver results in hepatocellular carcinoma. It is commonly observed in adults, especially people suffering from cirrhosis. Some children and teens also suffer from a subtype of liver cancer, which is known as hepatoblastoma. It is more common in the United States.
• Cholangiocarcinomas or Bile Duct Cancer: It is a cancer of bile ducts. It is more common in women.
• Angiosarcomas and Hemangiosarcoma: Angiosarcomas is a cancer, which develops in the blood vessel of the liver. The rate of survival for people suffering from this cancer is very low, because it develops very fast. It is a rare type of cancer. Hemangiosarcoma is also a rare type of cancer, which develops in the blood vessel relatively slowly. Therefore, the patient has greater chances of survival. It is more common in children under 4 years of age.

Secondary Liver Cancer
Secondary cancer is caused by the spread of cancerous cells, which are located outside the liver. It can spread from gastrointestinal organs like stomach, pancreas and colon, as the blood flows from these organs to the liver or it can also spread through the lymphatic system. Secondary liver cancer is also called metastatic cancer. In most of the cases, it is a result of primary liver cancer. It can be a result of advanced breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer or some other types of cancers.

Symptoms
At the primary stage, the cancer may not show any symptoms at all. But people in advanced stages of cancer may experience weakness, fatigue, fever, weight loss or loss of appetite. In case of metastatic cancer, patients may experience nausea, discomfort in the abdomen, enlarged spleen and lethargy.

Various treatment methods such as chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and radiosurgery are used to treat liver cancer. Alcohol consumption, smoking and some steroids create problems in the functioning of the liver. Early detection and appropriate treatment reduce the chances of liver cancer.