Liver cancer is a cancerous tumour in the liver. The tumour may be primary (originating in the liver) or, far more commonly, secondary (having spread from elsewhere, often the stomach, pancreas or large intestine). There are two main types of primary tumour: a hepatocellular carcinoma, also known as hepatoma, which develops in the liver cells; and a cholangiocarcinoma, which arises from cells lining the bile ducts. Hepatocellular carcinomas are often linked to infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C and to cirrhosis.

LIVER CANCER SYMPTOMS

The most common symptoms of any liver cancer are loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, and sometimes pain in the upper right abdomen. The later stages of the disease are marked by jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eye, due to accumulation of the bile pigment bilirubin) and ascites (excess fluids in the abdomen).

LIVER CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Blood tests  (liver-function tests) may be used to assess liver function, which can be disturbed by cancer. Tumors are often detected by ultrasound scanning, CT scanning, or MRI; diagnosis may be confirmed by liver biopsy (tissue sampling).

Primary liver cancer can sometimes be cured by total removal of the tumor and a surrounding area of normal tissue. Alternatively, if the tumor is small and localized, it may be possible to destroy it by injecting it with chemicals (a procedure called tumor ablation) or by subjecting it to intense laser light or radiofrequency waves (radiofrequency ablation). In other cases, anticancer drugs can help to slow the disease’s progress. Radiotherapy may also be used to treat cholangiocarcinomas but is not usually used for hepatomas. Rarely, a liver transplant may be a possibility.

It is usually not possible to cure secondary liver cancer, but anticancer drugs or, in some cases, removal of a solitary metastasis (secondary cancer tumour) may significantly improve the outlook.

Source: A-Z family medical encyclopedia by BMA

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