Liver cancer

Liver cancer

The liver is the largest organ in the body and performs many important functions to keep a person healthy. In Spain, more than 3,000 cases are diagnosed annually (14 per 100,000 men and 4 per 100,000 women). The liver cancer is more common in men than in women, so that the former are twice as likely to suffer from liver cancer over a lifetime.

The liver cancer can arise in two ways:

The liver cancer primary (most often, carcinoma hepatocellular) originates in the liver.

The liver cancer metastatic derived from the spread ( metastasis ) of cancer from other areas of the body.

Many cases of liver cancer correspond to a metastatic liver cancer, due to the fact that the liver has two blood contributions, which facilitates the spread of cancer from other organs. In these cases, the other organ is considered the primary focus of cancer .

Types

Hepatocellular carcinoma : the most common form in adults begins in hepatocytes, the main type of liver cell. Approximately 75% of primary liver cancers are of this type. This type of cancer can have different growth patterns. Some start as anisolated tumor that grows a lot and then spreads to other parts of the liver. However, this type of cancer can also start in many areas of the entire liver and not as a single tumor . This is more common in people with liver cirrhosis and is the most common pattern in the United States.

Cholangiocarcinomas: these tumors represent approximately 10% -20% of cases of liver cancer . These cancers begin in the small tubes that carry bile to the gallbladder (bile ducts). Therefore, cholangiocarcinomas are often referred to as cancer of the bile ducts.

Angiosarcomas and hemangiosarcomas: these tumors are rare forms of cancer that start in the blood vessels of the liver and grow rapidly. Often, when they are detected, they are too extended to be able to remove them.

Hepatoblastoma: it is a very rare liver cancer that appears in children under 4 years. About 70% of children suffering from this disease are treated successfully with surgery and chemotherapy . Survival exceeds 90% in the disease in the early stages.

Symptom

In its early stages, liver cancer is difficult to detect, so it is sometimes called "silent disease". As the tumor grows, symptoms may include the following:

• Sudden or unexpected weight loss
• Pain in the right side of the upper portion of the abdomen
• Loss of appetite
• Swelling in the stomach area (flatulence)
• Excessive tiredness or weakness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fever

Jaundice : yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine
These symptoms do not necessarily confirm the definite presence of a liver cancer . However, people who experience any of these symptoms should immediately contact their doctor.