ABOUT THE DISEASE
The liver is the largest organ in the human body, located on the upper right side of the abdomen, just below the ribs. The three critical functions that the liver performs include:
- - To filter harmful substances from the blood and pass them out through urine and stool.
- - To make bile which helps digest fat from food.
- - To store glycogen - essential for energy in the body
A malignant growth / tumor in the liver is termed liver cancer.
They are broadly classified into two categories -
(i) Primary liver cancer - a cancer that starts in the liver, and
(ii) Metastatic liver cancer – a cancer that starts somewhere else and spreads to the liver.
It can occur in adults and children, both.
SYMPTOMS
- • Weight loss
- • Loss of appetite
- • Nausea
- • Feeling very weak and tired
- • Pain on the right side of the abdomen
- • Feeling full or bloated
- • Running a fever for no reason
- • Jaundice
- • Dark-colored urine
CAUSES
Some risk factors for liver cancer are:
- Liver diseases, including hepatitis B or C, cirrhosis
- Family history of hepatitis or liver cancer
- Obesity
- Heavy alcohol use
- Gender (more prevalent in men)
DIAGNOSIS
- Physical examination
- Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level
- Liver function tests
- Imaging tests- CT/MRI/ultrasound
- Liver biopsy
TREATMENT METHODS
The treatment plan depends upon the stage of the cancer, and includes:
- Liver Cancer Surgery - Removal of whole (Total hepatectomy) or part (Partial hepatectomy) of the liver - can be followed with a liver transplant.
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Cryoablation
- Radiofrequency ablation
You may also like to learn about:
Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Hepatitis C
Liver/hepatic failure
Cancer metastatic
Jaundice