Questions and Answers About Liver Cancer

What is Liver Cancer?

Liver Cancer is the occurrence of cells forming into a mass of tissue in the liver called tumor.

What are the risk factors of Liver Cancer?

There are several known risk factors of Liver Cancer. They are:

· Hepatitis, a chronic liver infection can infect the liver.

· Cirrhosis of the liver can cause liver cancer (in about 5% of the cases).

· Aflatoxin, a harmful substance made by certain types of mold, can cause liver cancer.

· Men are twice as likely as women to get Liver Cancer.

· A family history of Liver Cancer is a risk factor.

· Age, can be a risk factor for Liver Cancer, with people over 60 being at a higher risk.

What are the different types of Liver Cancer?

The different types of Liver Cancer are primary, and secondary:

Most primary liver cancers begin in liver cells called hepatocytes. This type of cancer is called hepatocellular carcinoma or malignant hepatoma.

Secondary liver cancer is cancer that spreads to the liver from another part of the body, which is different from primary liver cancer.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Liver Cancer?

Your will doctor perform A physical exam feeling for changes in organs. They will look for signs of jaundice, and orders blood tests. They will follow these up with a CTscan, ultrasound, an angiogram, and finally a biopsy.

What are the stages of Liver Cancer?

There are four stages of Liver Cancer. They are:

· Stage 1: When the tumor measures 2cm or smaller

· Stage 2: When a tumor measures 2cm across and had blood vessels involved or when there are multiple tumors that measure 2cm, with or without blood vessels. A single tumor larger than 2cm across without blood vessels is also stage 2.

· Stage 3: This stage has two parts. Stage 3A involves tumors larger than 2cm with blood vessels involved. Stage 3B occurs when tumors with or without blood vessels have spread to lymph nodes.

· Stage 4: Stage 4 also has two parts. In 4A, the cancer spreads to lymph nodes or other parts of the body near the liver. In stage 4B, the cancer may be any size and has spread to other organs in the body and lymph nodes that are farther away from the liver.

How is the stage of Liver Cancer Determined?

During a the physical exam, the Doctor will determine how far the disease has progressed and determine if cancer can be removed by surgery and if it is curable or not. Only liver cancer found in the early stages can be cured.

How liver cancer treated?

Liver cancer can be very difficult to control. Many Liver Cancer patients go into clinical trials hoping for a cure. If the Liver Cancer has not spread and can be removed, surgery is a good option because only or the tumor and a portion of the liver can be removed. Some patients may be eligible for liver transplant.

Other treatments to control over cancer include:

· Radiofrequency ablation, killing the cancer cells with heat.

· Cryosurgery, killing the cells by freezing them

· Hepatic arterial infusion, which is direct insertion of anti cancer drug into the blood vessels that feed the tumor.

· Chemoembolization, blocking the artery that feeds the tumor

· Chemotherapy and radiation to slow the progress of advanced

· Pain control

Will the ever be a cure for liver cancer?

There are clinical trials for Liver Cancer currently underway. These clinical trials are typically the best hope for long-term treatment or cure. They are done on a purely voluntary basis.