Liver cancer can be primary or secondary, depending on its origin. If cancer develops in the liver tissue, it is called primary liver cancer. If cancer develops in other parts of the body and spreads to the liver, it is called secondary liver cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Others are hepatoblastoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. As the liver is composed of various types of cells, different types of tumors may form.
Statistics:
Liver cancer ranks as the sixth most common cancer globally. It is the fifth most prevalent cancer among men and the ninth among women, with the average age of diagnosis being around 63 years.
Risk factors and symptoms:
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Gender (male)
- Obesity
- Race (Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders)
- Fatty liver disease
- Inherited liver disease
- Cirrhosis, chronic infection with HBV or HCV
- Diabetes
- Exposure to aflatoxins (a type of poison)
The symptoms include nausea, vomiting, upper abdominal pain, swelling in the abdomen, white stools, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, white discoloration of the eyes, yellow discoloration of the skin,
Prevention:
- Healthy consumption of alcohol
- Maintaining a balanced weight in comparison with age and height
- Vaccination of hepatitis B
- Safety precautions against hepatitis C
- Liver cancer screening test
Treatment:
The available treatments are surgery (removal of tumor, liver transplant surgery), localized treatments (injecting alcohol or chemotherapy drugs into the tumor, freezing cancer cells, heating cancer cells), radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and supportive care.
