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Liver Cancer
Liver cancer begins in the liver cells, located within an organ of the body found in the upper right portion of the abdomen, under the diaphragm, and above the stomach. It is the 13th most common cancer in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates 42,230 new cases of liver cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2021. Read on to learn more crucial information about liver cancer and how this disease can be treated.
Facts About Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers globally. It’s now the fastest-growing cause of death among patients with different cancers. It is more common in men, with the disease affecting them about three times more often than women.
The incidence rate of liver cancer is also increasing very rapidly.
a number of provoking factors:
- Diagnosis of liver cancer has increased by 75% between the years 1990 and 2015.
- The number of liver cancer diagnoses in the United States has more than tripled from the 1980s to the present.
The Liver
The liver is the largest organ in the body. It’s located under the ribs just beneath the right lung. It’s composed of two lobes or sections and is made up mainly of cells called hepatocytes.
The liver is a vital organ of the body because we cannot live without it. It performs many essential functions, including:
a number of provoking factors:
- Metabolizing fats, carbohydrates, and protein and stores vitamins and minerals from food. The liver breaks down and stores nutrients absorbed from the intestine that our body needs to function. Some nutrients must be metabolized in the liver before being used for energy or building and repairing body tissues.
- Filtering the blood. The liver breaks down drugs, alcohol, and other toxic products in the blood, which is then excreted or passed from the body through urine and stool.
- Aiding in digestion. The liver delivers bile into the intestines to help absorb nutrients, especially fats.
- Preventing too much bleeding. The liver makes most clotting factors that keep you from bleeding a lot when you are injured or cut.
Types of Liver Cancer
Among other information on liver cancer, it’s important to know its different types, which include:
a number of provoking factors:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), also called hepatoma. This is the most common form of liver cancer, accounting for an estimated 75% of all cases. Some hepatocellular carcinoma begins as a single tumor that grows larger. Some start as many small cancer nodules throughout the liver.
- Fibrolamellar HCC. This is a subtype of Hepatocellular carcinoma. It’s often seen in women younger than 35. It’s rare, with less than 1% of HCCs, and tends to have a better prognosis than other forms of HCC.
- Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). This type starts in the cells that line the small bile ducts within or outside the liver.
- Angiosarcoma, also called hemangiocarcinoma. This begins in the cells lining the blood vessels of the liver. People exposed to vinyl chloride or thorium dioxide (thorotrast), arsenic, or radium are at risk of having this type of liver cancer.
- Secondary liver cancer, also known as liver cancer metastasis. This type started from a different part of the body, such as the colon, pancreas, stomach, breast, lung, etc., and has spread (metastasized) to the liver.
What Are the Risk Factors of Liver Cancer?
A risk factor is anything that increases the chance of getting a disease. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get the disease, and some people who get the disease may also have no known risk factors.
Below are several factors that can increase your chance of having liver cancer:
a number of provoking factors:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma is much more common in men than women. The fibrolamellar, a subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma, is more common in women.
- Race or Ethnicity. In the US, Asian Americans and pacific islanders have the highest rate of liver cancer.
- Chronic viral hepatitis. Chronic or long-term infection with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common risk factor for liver cancer worldwide. These infections lead to liver cirrhosis.
- People with cirrhosis have an increased risk of liver cancer. Cirrhosis is a disease in which the liver cells are damaged and are replaced by scar tissues. Harmful substances like alcohol, drugs, or fatty foods can damage the liver and cause liver cells to die.
What Are the Symptoms of Liver Cancer?
What is cancer of the liver? Generally, tumors or cancer in the liver don’t cause any symptoms until they have advanced. When symptoms do appear, they may include:
a number of provoking factors:
- Unintentional or unexplained weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal pain or swelling
- Jaundice or yellowish discoloration in the skin or eyes
How Is Liver CancDiagnosed?
In order to correctly know how to cure liver cancer, the following tests or procedures are used:
a number of provoking factors:
- A biopsy is the removal of a sample of tissue to see if it is cancer. The sample is then studied in the pathology laboratory.
- Imaging tests, such as ultrasound, CT Scan, MRI, or PET, or CT scan. These tests create pictures of the inside of the body to find suspicious areas that might have cancer.
- Laboratory tests. Laboratory tests may help in diagnosing liver cancer and determining what might have caused cancer.
Treatment for Liver Cancer
There are many treatment options on how to treat liver cancer, and they are as follows:
a number of provoking factors:
- Removal of the tumor with surgery or a liver transplant is an option for the treatment of liver cancer.
- Interventional Radiology. This procedure is designed to deliver treatment to the tumor directly.
- Chemotherapy is used before or after liver surgery to decrease the size of the tumor and target cancer cells.
- Radiation Therapy. There are different radiation for liver cancer therapy procedures to deliver radiation to cancer cells while also minimizing side effects.
- Immunotherapy drugs are introduced into the body to block receptor proteins that allow the cancer cells to hide from the immune system.
- Targeted Therapy. Some drugs were developed to specifically target changes in cells that cause cancer.
Know More About Liver Cancer and How to Manage Its Symptoms with All American Hospice
If you have a loved one or know someone who has symptoms of liver cancer, please don’t hesitate to contact All American Hospice. We have highly skilled professionals that can assist you in caring for and managing symptoms for your patient. Let us start taking care of you; reach out today to learn more about our expert caregiving services.
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