Liver cancer is a type of malignant tumor that originates in the cells that make up the liver in the form of hepatocytes, bile ducts or blood vessels, and is usually quite aggressive, can cause symptoms that can occur in the most advanced stages of the disease and include pain in the abdomen, sea, loss of appetite, weight loss and yellow eyes.
People with fat in the liver, liver cirrhosis who use anabolic steroids may have the risk of developing this cancer, which can be diagnosed by an abdominal imaging exam such as an ultrasound, tomography and any ability to detect any of the lumps in the liver.
- Treatment is done by surgery and chemotherapy.
- Depending on the size and severity of each case.
- And the chances that the greatest cure can be achieved when the tumor is identified early.
- In the wrong initial stages.
- When liver cancer cannot be cured.
- The average lifespan is about 5 years.
- But this value varies depending on the degree of development of the disease and whether it has associated diseases.
The most common signs and symptoms that can occur in liver cancer include:
Unfortunately, these symptoms usually occur when the cancer is advanced and, in most cases, liver cancer is discovered at an advanced stage, reducing the chances of healing.
Because when there are risk factors such as excessive alcohol consumption or liver disease, it is important to consult your hepatologist regularly to frequently evaluate your liver and monitor changes that may occur.
In cases where certain symptoms appear or if there are many risk factors, it is advisable to consult a hepatologist for diagnostic tests such as abdominal ultrasound, CT or MRI, to confirm if there are any changes that may indicate the presence of one. . Identify the lump that may indicate the presence of a tumor.
It is important to remember that not all liver nodules cause cancer, although I anticipate that their characteristics will be tested by the doctor, which will indicate if there is a risk, if suspicious changes are identified, the doctor will be able to order a liver biopsy. to check the lab for cancer cells in this organ. You see that when you have liver, you can be dangerous.
In cases where suspicion is lower, re-examinations are reported annually every 3 years, as the case may be, so that if possible, this cyst develops new characteristics that may indicate the presence of cancer.
Although anyone can develop liver cancer, this type of cancer is more common in people with:
In addition, in cases of ulcerative colitis or long-term sclerosing cholangitis, you may also develop liver cancer more easily.
In all cases the treatment of liver cancer is done with surgery to remove the entire affected area, however, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be necessary before surgery to reduce the size of the cancer and facilitate its elimination.
In more severe cases, when the cancer is highly developed or spread to other organs, chemotherapy and radiation therapy can also be used only after surgery to try to remove the remaining cancer cells.
If there is another condition associated with cirrhosis, removing part of the liver can be more complicated and therefore your doctor may recommend a liver transplant to try to cure.
Liver cancer can be primary, i. e. when it appears directly in the liver, it can be secondary, by metastasizeing the spread of cancer from other organs such as the lungs, stomach, intestine or breast, for example.
The most common type of primary liver cancer is hepatocarcinoma or hepatocellular carcinoma, which is also the most aggressive, and comes from the main cells that make up the liver, called hepatocytes. Another primitive tumor with cholangiocarcinoma, which originates in the bile ducts.
Other rare types of tumors include fibrolamelar liver carcinoma, angiosarcoma, and hepatoblastoma.