Liver cancer occurs when the cancerous cells start growing near the liver and affect its functioning gradually. This cancer is silent cancer, which does not show any sign till it has progressed to later stages. Hence, the prognosis for liver disease is very bad and there is no hope for it improving in the future.
Liver cancer has a lot of symptoms but the problem with these symptoms is that they are also associated with other liver-related diseases. Therefore, the patients tend to ignore them for a long time before a red flag is raised. Following are a few common symptoms seen in the liver cancer patients.
A person suffering from liver cancer loses weight dramatically. This is more because complications inside the liver lead to loss of appetite resulting in the poor health of the patient.
Liver cancer gives a constant feeling of being full. Even one bite of food can make the patient feel like they have eaten too much and might not be able to keep everything inside.
Liver cancer causes extreme nausea and vomiting. It creates an aversion to food and the patient starves while having a feeling of overeating.
The size of the spleen and liver increase and cause a lot of pain and discomfort.
Liver cancer leaves the liver unable to process its basic functions, which further complicates other bodily functions leading to swelling in feet and belly.
Abnormal functioning of the liver causes an abnormal release of bilirubin, which is the cause behind the yellow color of the skin and the eyes.
All the signs and symptoms of liver cancer are related to one another. Due to the cancer cells affecting the liver, the liver fails to function properly and then one problem leads to another leaving the patient hapless with no respite.
Most doctors will tell you that treating a liver cancer is very difficult at the later stages and unfortunately that is when it is detected in most of the cases. Most of the patients with liver cancer do not realize something is wrong with them till they have reached stage three or four, which is extremely late in the disease and has almost no chances of curing.
With liver cancer, doctors are left with just a few options to choose from based on how much cancer has spread and the general health of the liver. Some of the treatment options for liver cancer are as follows:
Liver cancer is dangerous and it is better if it is diagnosed early. The signs and symptoms of liver cancer are confusing but people should take them seriously and get it checked, when necessary.
Liver cancer, as the name suggests, is the cancer that begins in the liver cells. There are many types of cancers associated with the liver, out of which, hepatocellular carcinoma is the most commonly found cancer. A cancer is termed liver cancer only when it starts in the liver, other cancers that have spread to the liver over the time are known as metastatic cancer. Unfortunately, an overview of liver cancer will tell you that cancers that spread to the liver from other organs are more common than the cancers that start in the liver.
Liver cancer happens when liver cells mutate their DNA. One of the outcomes of this process is that cells start growing rapidly resulting in a single tumor or multiple tumors. It is very difficult to understand the causes of liver cancer. Not every case comes with a reason but one very common reason is an infection by a type of hepatitis virus. Following are some of the high risk factors associated with liver cancer-
A chronic infection caused by hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus increases the risk of liver cancer.
Liver cirrhosis is a progressive and irreversible condition, which increases the chance of getting liver cancer.
Inherited liver diseases increase a person’s chance of suffering from liver cancer. Two of these diseases are hemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease.
People suffering from high blood sugar are more prone to suffering from cancer as compared to people who do not have blood sugar.
A fatty liver is prone to cancer.
Aflatoxins are molds that grow on crops stored in poor conditions. These are poisonous chemicals that increase the risk of liver cancer.
Alcohol can be very harmful for the liver. It can lead to irreversible liver damage and tremendously increases the risk of liver cancer.
The most unfortunate fact about liver cancer is that most people do not experience any symptoms in the early stages of cancer. The symptoms start showing after the disease has progressed to a certain level. Some of the most common symptoms are-
A person with the above mentioned symptoms is believed to have liver cancer. To further confirm the diagnosis and the stage of cancer, doctors undertake a few procedures that give them an overview of liver cancer.
Liver cancer is a dangerous disease because in most cases it is not detected in the early stages. Even when detected on time and treated, liver cancer might not get treated completely and needs frequent follow-ups. It is best to consult a doctor before making any decision.
