Learn about symptoms, diagnosis methods including tests offered at Ganesh Diagnostic, and crucial prevention strategies and risk factors.
Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is a cancer that originates in the liver cells. It is one of the most common types of cancer globally and is more common among men than women.
There are some reasons because of which an increase in liver cancer is possible, and such include long-time infection with viruses like hepatitis B or C, cirrhosis of the liver (scarring), heavy consumption of alcohol over long periods of time, and obesity. Liver cancer can be caused by some chemicals or poisons in certain cases as well.
What are the types of liver cancer?
There are a number of liver cancers, but hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common types of liver cancer. Other types of liver cancer include:
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: This type of liver cancer begins in the cells that line the bile ducts within the liver.
Hepatoblastoma: This is an uncommon type of liver cancer that usually occurs in young children.
Angiosarcoma and hemangiosarcoma: These are types of liver cancer of the liver's blood vessels.
Fibrolamellar carcinoma: It is a rare type of hepatocellular carcinoma that usually develops in young individuals with no history of liver disease.
Mixed hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma: This is a highly uncommon type of liver cancer that has features of both hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.
Stages of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer staging plays a key role in determining treatment. The best-accepted system for liver cancer staging is the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system, which takes several factors into consideration including the tumor size, tumor number, if cancer has infiltrated surrounding lymph nodes or other organs, and overall liver function of the patient.
The BCLC staging system differentiates liver cancer into five stages:
Stage 0: Stage for very early liver cancer confined to the liver and very small in size.
Stage A: Stage for early liver cancer still confined to the liver but potentially larger than Stage 0 tumors.
Stage B: This stage includes liver cancer that has grown in size and either spread to nearby lymph nodes or began to invade surrounding blood vessels.
Stage C: This stage includes liver cancer that invaded other organs besides the liver, such as the lungs or bones, or invaded numerous nearby lymph nodes.
Stage D: This stage includes advanced liver cancer that has spread extensively throughout the body and may be involving different organs.
Treatment of every stage of liver cancer varies, and the prognosis is based on the stage of cancer and the overall health status of the patient. It is always important to closely consult a doctor to determine the most appropriate treatment of each case.
Other tests that are done at Ganesh Diagnostic about Liver health-
- Hepatitis A, B (Book Now)
- Hypotension (Book Now)
- Gait Disorders, Imbalance and Falls (Book Now)
- Liver Abscess Package (Book Now)
Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer may be asymptomatic during the early stages, and if it does occur at all, then could be of a nature very close to those experienced in other liver ailments.
However, there are some usual symptoms of liver cancer:
Abdominal pain right side
- Feel pain in the right side
- Jaundice
- Weight loss unexplained
- Loss of appetite without any reason
- Feel bloating of the abdomen even after taking very little amounts.
- Weakening or weakness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Swelling of legs or abdomen
- Enlargement of spleen or liver
- Skin itching
- Dark-colored urine or pale stools
There are numerous other diseases due to the above symptoms. So, go ahead and consult a health expert if you experience any of the above symptoms. Liver cancer was detected, in some instances, by a routine medical scan or blood test prior to the development of symptoms.
Causes of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer growth can be caused by numerous reasons. The most common causes of liver cancer are:
Chronic hepatitis B or C virus infection: Long-term infection with the two viruses causes inflammation and fibrosis in the liver, which results in the development of liver cancer.
Cirrhosis is a cirrhotic disease where the liver becomes scarred and worsens over time as a result of years of alcohol consumption, chronic infection, hepatitis B or C, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It can potentially raise the risk of liver cancer.
Alcohol consumption: Drinking and consuming large quantities of alcohol for many years can damage the liver and increase the risk of liver cancer.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): NAFLD is the deposition of fat in the liver, usually due to obesity, diabetes, or high cholesterol. NAFLD, if not treated, can lead to cirrhosis and induce liver cancer risks.
Contact with certain chemicals and toxins: Exposure to chemicals such as aflatoxins (toxins of some forms of fungus) or vinyl chloride (used to manufacture plastics) could result in increased risk to the liver, specifically liver cancer.
Genetic tendency: Sometimes, liver cancer could be caused by genetic alterations passed down due to inheritance, to which a person is liable due to its effects on an individual's risk towards the illness.
Some of the most common risk factors for liver cancer are:
Chronic hepatitis B or C infection: Viral infection of the liver may cause inflammation and scarring and put an individual at risk for liver cancer.
Cirrhosis: Years of liver scarring from heavy alcohol use or chronic hepatitis B or C infection can lead to cirrhosis, an illness that puts a person at increased risk for liver cancer.
Heavy alcohol use: Drinking large amounts of alcohol over a long time can damage the liver and increase the risk of developing liver cancer.
Overweight or obesity: Overweight or obesity has been reported to lead to an increased risk of developing liver cancer, perhaps by the formation of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Diabetes: People with diabetes are at greater risk of developing liver cancer, perhaps because they form nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Exposure to some chemicals and toxins: Exposure to some chemicals such as vinyl chloride or aflatoxins may increase the risk of liver cancer.
Hereditary influence: Family history of liver cancer or inherited genetic mutation can increase the risk of the disease.
Age: Older age group is more prone to liver cancer, and the risk increases after 50 years.
Not all those with these risk factors will indeed develop liver cancer, and receiving regular screening and finding it in its early stages can be all the difference with the chances of successful treatment and recovery.
Prevention of liver cancer
Prevention of liver cancer can be done in several different ways, including
Vaccination: Immunization against hepatitis B will lower the risk of developing liver cancer by a significant rate because chronic viral infection is one of the prime risk factors for the illness.
Practice safe sex: Hepatitis B and C are sexually transmitted. Safe sex will lower the risk of infection.
Limit drinking alcohol: Drinking large amounts of alcohol over many years can hurt the liver and cause liver cancer. Limiting drinking alcohol or not drinking alcohol at all will decrease the risk.
Healthy weight: Being overweight or obese is potentially contributing to liver cancer risk by developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Reducing this risk by having healthy weight by diet and physical activity is achievable.
Prevent diabetes: People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing liver cancer, perhaps because they develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Prevention of diabetes by diet, exercise, and medication can reduce this risk.
Avoid toxin exposure: Avoiding exposure to chemicals like aflatoxins and vinyl chloride can reduce the risk of liver cancer.
Get routine check-ups: Routine check-ups can detect any liver cancer at an early stage when it is easier to treat. People at risk of liver cancer, for example, those with long-term infection with hepatitis B or C, should have regular screening.
Diagnosis of Liver Cancer
Diagnosis of liver cancer will usually involve a combination of medical history, physical examination, and investigations.
Medical History: The doctor will ask about the medical history, such as symptoms you may be experiencing and risk factors you may have for liver cancer, e.g., infection with hepatitis B or C, alcohol use, or liver cancer history in your family.
Physical Examination: The doctor will examine the abdomen for masses or tenderness.
Blood Tests: Blood tests diagnose liver cancer through the quantitation of certain enzymes or proteins such as alpha-fetoprotein or the liver function test.
Biopsy: Liver Biopsy is the removal of tissue from the liver to look for cancer cells under the microscope to determine the presence of the cancer and grade the type and stages of the liver cancer.
Imaging Tests: Imaging tests such as Ultrasound Whole Abdomen, MRI Cholangiogram, whole body pet scan, etc. are done to examine the liver and determine if there is any abnormal growth or tumor or not.
Conclusion
Liver cancer can be easily diagnosed, particularly in the initial stages. Periodic checkups in cases where one is very likely to be affected by an ailment such as infection of Hepatitis B or C can aid in detection of liver cancer during its initial phase with extremely high curability. In case you ever develop any of the below-discussed signs or family history of liver cancer, then report to your treating doctor for preventive treatment so that your liver cancer gets treated.
We at Ganesh Diagnostic provide a liver cancer screening package that assists you in early diagnosis of your cancer issue which assists your physician in determining the optimum possible cancer management treatment to retard the growth of the cancer.
If you have any question concerning the package of cancer screening, please feel free to contact our health executives for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is liver cancer?
Liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma, is cancer that starts in the cells of the liver.
Q: What are the main causes of liver cancer?
Common causes include chronic hepatitis B or C infection, cirrhosis, heavy alcohol use, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Q: What are the different types of liver cancer?
The most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Other types include intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, hepatoblastoma, angiosarcoma, fibrolamellar carcinoma, and mixed hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma
