Liver Cancer Signs And Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

What is liver cancer?

In the liver cancer is a malignant tumor in the liver. Liver cancer is a serious disease that is often difficult to treat. The earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chance of cure.

The major causes of liver cancer is infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
Other causes include:

1. Liver cirrhosis, a liver scarring.
2. Hemochromatosis (iron overload).
3. Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Sometimes liver cancer occurs because someone has eaten a lot of food that has not been preserved. The fungi that occur than can secrete a substance that is bad for the liver. This is hardly in the Netherlands, but is, for example, a problem in Africa.

The most common form of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this form arises from the tumor, the liver cells (liver cell cancer).

How is liver cancer diagnosed?

If your doctor thinks you have liver cancer, they will refer you to a specialist. This is a stomach, liver and intestine doctor (gastroenterologist) or a liver specialist (hepatologist).
The specialist can do the following investigations:

1. Blood tests.
2. Echo of the liver. Tumors from about a centimeter size with this investigation to see.
3. CT-scan.
4. MRI scan .
5. PET scan.
6. Liver biopsy or liver biopsy. In a puncture sucks the doctor with a hollow needle on the cells of the liver. The pathologist examines these cells under the microscope.

In half of the people with liver cancer will take a certain substance in the blood. This substance called alpha-fetoprotein (a tumor marker). To investigate whether this substance can have increased, the technician takes a blood sample. The blood is tested in the laboratory.

What are the signs and symptoms of liver cancer?

Liver cancer sometimes gives obvious symptoms. It often takes this long before symptoms arise.
You can get the following symptoms:

1. nausea;
2. (vague) abdominal pain;
3. poor appetite;
4. emaciation;
5. bloating;
6. jaundice;
7. itching;
8. fatigue.

The liver can be larger (hepatomegaly) and often does not function properly.

In many people with liver cancer liver worked for a time not by liver cirrhosis. These people had often already suffer from fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss.

What is the treatment for liver cancer?

In cancer of the liver are a variety of treatments possible. Some treatments are intended to cure the disease (curative treatment). This is only possible if the liver cancer is detected early. It is also important that the liver is still working properly.

The tumor is detected early and works the liver still good? Then surgery is the best treatment. The doctor cuts off the tumor, along with a portion of the liver.
Other treatments are:

1. Hepatic Perfusion. This is a severe treatment that occurs during an operation. The surgeon isolates the liver from the remainder of the body. They then flush the liver with a high dose of anti-cancer drugs. This is a local chemotherapy.
2. Radiofrequency thermo ablation. This treatment will destroy cancer cells by heating them. With a needle, the doctor inserts a rod into the tumor. Subsequently, the physician heats the rod (up to eighty degrees). The cancer cells can not stand there and go broke. This treatment can also be done during surgery.
3. Cryotherapy. In this treatment, the doctor freezes the cancer cells. If unsuccessful, the cancer cells die.

Sometimes it is necessary to remove omit the entire liver. Then, a liver transplant is needed. A liver transplant is only possible if you have no metastases.
Perhaps the tumor when you discovered late. Probably you can not heal. Your doctor will then ensure that you continue to feel as comfortable as possible. This is called palliative treatment. For example, you get pain relief. The prospects are not good. Your doctor will tell you what you can expect.