The Liver continuously filters blood that circulates through the body, Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, is a cancer that originates in the liver. Liver tumors are discovered on medical imaging equipment (often by accident) or present themselves symptomatically as an abdominal mass, abdominal pain, yellow skin, nausea or liver dysfunction.
When cancer develops in the liver, the cells change and grow in an abnormal way. As the cancer grows it forms a group of cells called a tumor. This tumor can cause a blockage and result in symptoms like pain and jaundice. When cancer starts in the liver, it is called primary liver cancer. But when cancer starts somewhere else in the body and spreads to the liver, it is called secondary liver cancer.
The leading cause of liver cancer is cirrhosis due to either hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or alcohol.
Symptoms of Leukemia depend on how much the cancer has grown and may include:
Types of Liver Cancers are
Primary Liver cancer
Liver is that largest organ of the body. It is a reddish brown muscular organ that lies in the right side of the abdominal cavity. When the Liver or Hepatic cancer originates in the cells of the liver, it is then called as Primary liver cancer.
- There are two main types: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma.
- HCC starts from the main cells in the liver (hepatocytes), and is the most common type of primary liver cancer.
- HCC occurs frequently in people with liver disease called cirrhosis.
- Cholangiocarcinoma starts in the cells lining the bile duct.
- Angiosarcoma is a rare liver cancer starting in the blood vessels.
Secondary Liver cancer
It is cancer that started in another part of the body but has spread (metastasized) to the liver.
- Most common types to spread to liver start in the digestive system (bowel, pancreas, esophagus, stomach).
- Melanoma, breast, ovary, kidney or lung cancers also commonly spread to liver.
- Cancers are named after the primary cancer - for example, bowel cancer that has spread to the liver is still called bowel cancer. To indicate it has advanced, doctors may call it metastatic bowel cancer, bowel cancer with liver secondaries, advanced bowel cancer or colorectal/bowel metastasis.
- Secondary cancer is sometimes found at the same time that the primary cancer is diagnosed. It can also be diagnosed before or after the primary cancer is found.
Diagnosis of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is usually diagnosed with a number of different tests, which may include:
Blood Tests: To check your general health and check for a chemical usually found in increased levels in people with primary liver cancer.
Ultrasound:A picture of the liver is taken using sound waves.
Computed Tomography (CT) Scan: Similar to a CT scan, but uses a powerful magnet and magnetic field instead of x-rays to build an image of the body.
Cytogenetics : A small piece of liver tissue is removed with a needle and examined for cancer cells.
Laparoscopy : A small cut in the lower abdomen is made and this allows a thin mini-telescope (laparoscope) to be inserted to look at the liver and take a sample of liver tissue.
Laparoscopy :Needle biopsy, also called image-guided biopsy, is usually performed using a (MR) to guide the procedure. In many cases, needle biopsies are performed with the aid of equipment that creates a computer-generated image and allows radiologists to see an area inside the body from various angles. This "stereotactic" equipment helps them pinpoint the exact location of the abnormal tissue.
Large Core Needle Biopsy : In this technique, a special needle is used that enables the radiologist to obtain a larger biopsy sample. This technique is often used to obtain tissue samples from lumps or other abnormalities in the breast that are detected by physical examination or on mammograms or other imaging scans. moving X-ray technique (fluoroscopy) computed tomography (CT), ultrasound or magnetic resonance.
Liver Cancer - Treatment in Super Speciality Hospitals in India
Surgery
Partial Hepatectomy : Surgery to remove part of the liver is called partial hepatectomy. This operation is only attempted if the person is healthy enough and all of the tumor can be removed while leaving enough healthy liver behind. Unfortunately, most liver cancers cannot be completely removed. Often the cancer has spread beyond the liver, has become very large, or is in too many different parts of the liver.
Liver Transplant :When it is available, a liver transplant may be the best option for some people with small liver cancers. At this time, liver transplants are reserved for those with small tumors (either 1 tumor smaller than 5 cm across or 2 to 3 tumors no larger than 3 cm) that have not invaded nearby blood vessels. In most cases, transplant is used for tumors that cannot be totally removed, either because of the location of the tumors or because the liver is too diseased for the patient to withstand removing part of it.
Chemotherapy :Chemotherapy is a medication that is usually given intravenously or as a pill. It goes to the bloodstream and throughout the body to kill cancer cells. This is one of the big advantages of chemotherapy. If cancer cells have broken off from the tumor and are somewhere else inside the body, chemotherapy has the chance of finding those cells and killing them.
Radiation therapy :Another potential method of treating liver cancer is radiation therapy . The radiation comes in the form of high energy x-rays that are delivered to the patient only in the areas at highest risk for cancer. These x-rays are similar to those used for diagnostic x-rays, only of a much high energy. The high energy of x-rays in radiation therapy results in damage to the DNA of cells. Because cancer cells are not as good as normal, healthy cell at repairing DNA damage, radiation results in relatively more damage to the cancer cells than to normal cells.
Nonsurgical Treatments for Liver Cancer at World Class Hospitals in Indiaa
Chemoembolization : Chemoembolization is a minimally invasive treatment for liver cancer that can be used when there is too much tumor to treat with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), when the tumor is in a location that cannot be treated with RFA, or in combination with RFA or other treatments. In this the anticancer drug is given along with another substance that blocks the hepatic artery. (artery supplying the liver). Thus the anticancer drug is gets concentrated in the cancerous portion of the liver. Also since this area does not get fresh blood, oxygen and nutrients due to blocked hepatic artery, the tumor slowly shrinks and dies away.
Radiofrequency Ablation :For inoperable liver tumors, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) offers a nonsurgical, localized treatment that kills the tumor cells with heat, while sparing the healthy liver tissue. Thus, this treatment is much easier on the patient than systemic therapy.
Cryosurgery : It is a treatment that uses an instrument to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue, such as cancerous cells. This type of treatment is also called Cryotherapy. The doctor may use ultrasound to guide the instrument.
Drugs called radio-sensitizers may be given with the radiation therapy to make the cancer cells more sensitive to radiation therapy.
Percutaneous Ethanol Injection : Percutaneous ethanol injection is a cancer treatment in which a small needle is used to inject ethanol (alcohol) directly into a tumor to kill cancer cells. The procedure may be done once or twice a week. Usually local anesthesia is used, but if the patient has many tumors in the liver, general anesthesia may be needed.
Hyperthermia Therapy :Hyperthermia therapy is a type of treatment in which body tissue is exposed to high temperatures to damage and kill cancer cells or to make cancer cells more sensitive to the effects of radiation and certain anticancer drugs. Because some cancer cells are more sensitive to heat than normal cells are, the cancer cells die and the tumor shrinks.
Biologic Therapy : Biologic therapy is a treatment that uses the patient's immune system to fight cancer. Substances made by the body or made in a laboratory are used to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural defenses against cancer. This type of cancer treatment is also called biotherapy or immunotherapy.
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