Liver cancer
Liver cancer is cancer that’s seen anywhere in the liver. Liver cancer can sometimes originate in your liver or spread from another organ. Seriousness relies on where it is in the liver, how large, its location, if it’s primary or secondary, and your health.
Symptoms
Most individuals don’t experience signs and symptoms in their early stages of liver cancer.
When signs do appear, they may include:
- Jaundice
- Unintentional weight loss
- Abdominal swelling
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Upper abdominal pain
- General liability and fatigue
- White, chalky stools
Causes
Liver cancer occurs when liver cells develop changes in their DNA mutations. A cell’s DNA provides instructions for all the chemical processes happening in your body. If these DNA mutations change their instructions, one can result in abnormal cell growth, eventually forming a tumor (mass of cancerous cells).
In most cases, liver cancer happens for people with no underlying diseases, and it’s unclear what causes it.
Preventing primary liver cancer
You cannot always control primary liver cancer. But constructing healthy changes in your life can lower your chances of getting it.
- Attempt to lose weight if you are overweight
- If you work with harmful chemicals, wear protective clothes and masks
- Try to cut down on alcohol
- Quit smoking
Test and treatments
Tests can include:
- Blood tests
- Ultrasound scan, CT scan, or MRI scan
- Biopsy – collecting sample tissues
If the specialist thinks the cancer has spread to your liver (secondary liver cancer), you may have a PET scan.
These tests can assist find problems in your bile ducts, pancreas, or gallbladder.
If you are undergoing primary-level liver cancer, chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy can help, but it might be tough to treat if you have advanced (secondary liver cancer). It may not be possible to cure cancer.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 04 October 2022