Liver cancer begins in the cells of your liver. Metastatic cancer, i.e., cancer that starts in another area of the body and spreads to the liver, is relatively more common than cancer that begins in the liver itself.
We can categorise liver cancer into three categories:
- Benign Liver Tumors – These tumours do not grow into the nearby tissues and do not spread to distant sites.
- Primary liver cancer – It is cancer that starts within the liver itself.
- Secondary (Metastatic) – It is cancer that begins in another area of the body and spreads.
Causes of Liver Cancer
- Cirrhosis – In this condition, scar tissues develop in your liver and replace the healthy liver cells. This condition is irreversible and happens because of alcohol abuse.
- Chronic Hepatitis B or C – These infections also lead to cirrhosis.
- Fatty liver disease – This happens when too much fat builds up in the liver cells.
- Tobacco – Smoking can increase the chances.
- Type 2 Diabetes – People who have Type 2 diabetes are usually overweight, and being overweight is linked to having other liver conditions like fatty liver.
- Hemochromatosis – It is a condition where the body absorbs too much iron from the food. This iron can settle in the tissues and even in the liver, and when this happens, it can damage the liver and cause cancer or cirrhosis.
Symptoms of Liver Cancer
- Unintended weight loss
- Jaundice
- Enlarged spleen
- Enlarged liver
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Fluid builds up in the abdomen.
- Unwillingness to eat
Prevention of Liver Cancer
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Avoid smoking and drinking.
- Timely treatment for Hepatitis
- Get enough protein
Diagnosis of Liver Cancer
- Blood tests – Blood tests might reveal liver function abnormalities.
- Imaging tests – Ultrasound, CT, and MRIs might be done to examine the liver more closely and look for abnormalities.
- Biopsy – It includes the removal of a piece of liver tissue to examine it in a lab.
Treatment of Liver Cancer
- Surgery – The doctor may suggest surgery to remove the cancerous tissue and some healthy tissue around it. Surgeons perform this procedure if the tumour is small and has not spread too much. In some cases, doctors may recommend a liver transplant for early-stage liver cancer.
- Cryoablation – It is the use of extremely cold temperatures to destroy cancer cells. During this procedure, the medical team directly applies liquid nitrogen to liver tumors, freezing the cancer cells.
- Radiofrequency Ablation – Electric current is used to heat and destroy cancer cells. Surgeons insert needles into the abdomen and direct them towards the tumor cells. The needles produce heat using an electric current, eliminating the cancerous cells.
- Immunotherapy – It uses the body’s immune system to fight off cancer cells. Substances made in labs or by the body itself are used to boost and restore the body’s immune system and as a defence against cancer cells.
- Radiation Therapy – Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation like X-rays and protons to kill the cancer cells or halt their growth. Doctors sometimes use it to alleviate the symptoms of liver cancer that has spread to other areas of the body.
- Targeted Therapy – This treatment uses drugs that are designed specifically to target the tumour cells present in the liver. This therapy causes less harm to the normal cells than chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
- Chemotherapy – This treatment uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells. It does this either by killing the cancer cells or by preventing their further division. It can be done either intravenously or orally.