What Is Liver Cancer? Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatment
The percentage of people suffering with liver cancer in the United States has been steadily increasing for the past few decades. Currently, roughly 24,000 men and 10,000 women are diagnosed with the disease each year. The CDC reports that this results in approximately 27,000 deaths annually.
Liver cancer starts in when mutated cells in the organ begin to multiply at an unhealthy rate. When left untreated, the cancer may spread to organs and tissues elsewhere in the body. Search online and read on to learn more about the disease.
Signs and Symptoms
Liver cancer is an especially dangerous form of cancer as it often does not present with symptoms until it has advanced or spread. Common symptoms of liver cancer include:
- Unplanned weight loss
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Extreme tiredness
- Swelling in the abdomen near the liver
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
In some cases, liver cancer can also cause a fever, low blood sugar, high cholesterol and high blood calcium levels.
Causes and Risk Factors
Excessive alcohol consumption and cirrhosis are by far the biggest liver cancer risk factors. It is also worth noting that the disease occurs far more frequently in men and older adults. It’s extremely rare for children to develop liver cancer, though it can happen as a result of exposure to certain toxins such as aflatoxin, a mold that grows on nuts, rice, seeds, wheat and spices when they’re stored improperly. Animals fed contaminated grain can also pass it onto humans who consume the resulting eggs, meat or milk.
Other liver cancer risk factors are:
- A family history of liver cancer
- Certain genetic liver diseases (i.e. Wilson’s disease)
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Chronic hepatitis B and C infection
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- Diabetes
Older adults who have one or more of these liver cancer risk factors may wish to talk to their doctor about screening for the disease to ensure early detection if it occurs.
How Liver Cancer Is Diagnosed
Following a physical exam and review of your medical history, doctors may use the following blood tests to diagnose or rule out liver cancer:
- Alpha-fetoprotein blood (AFP) test
- Liver function test (LFT)
- Blood clotting tests
- Hepatitis B and C tests
If anything in the results indicates that the liver is not functioning as it should, they will then use imaging tests to check for visible tumors. This may include ultrasound, MRI and CT scans. A biopsy may be ordered to confirm cancer, if masses in the liver are detected.
Treatment Options
Liver cancer is categorized by the stage it’s at, which influences how it can be treated. This depends on whether the disease has spread, and the number and location of tumors in the liver.
- Cancer that can be removed: Surgery to remove cancerous tissue, or a lobe of the liver.
- Cancer that cannot be removed but has not spread: Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, or some combination of these treatments.
- Cancer that cannot be removed and has spread: This cancer cannot be cured but can be managed with immunotherapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
If cancer is contained to the liver but inoperable, or the patient’s normal liver tissue is damaged beyond repair, they may be put on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
Unless you are in severe pain, most of the symptoms listed above do not constitute a medical emergency. However, you should make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible if you are experiencing potential liver cancer symptoms.