The liver is an organ in the body that stores sugars for energy use, filters substances from the blood and secretes bile to help digest food. Primary liver cancer originates in the liver, as opposed to secondary liver cancer, which originates in another part of the body and spreads to the liver.
Significance
In the United States in 2009, approximately 22,620 new diagnoses of liver cancer and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (cancer starting in the bile ducts in the liver) were diagnosed in the United States, and 18,160 individuals died from the disease, the National Cancer Institute says.
Risk Factors
Several risk factors can increase an individual's risk of developing liver cancer, including infection with hepatitis B or C virus, obesity and diabetes, heavy and prolonged use of alcohol, and cirrhosis. The National Cancer Institute also notes that ingestion of a toxin called aflatoxin can cause liver cancer, but the United States limits the use of this toxin in the food supply, so this is rare.
Symptoms
Primary liver cancer can cause symptoms due to the swelling of the liver as the disease progresses. The National Cancer Institute says symptoms include unintentional weight loss, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, a lump on the right side below the ribs, right upper abdominal discomfort and jaundice.
Types
Several kinds of cancers originate in the liver, according to the American Cancer Society. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer in adults, with nearly 75 percent of primary liver cancers being this type. Bile duct cancers, or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, make up 10 percent to 20 percent of liver cancers and start in bile ducts that run through the liver. Angiosarcomas and hemangiosarcomas are rare kinds of liver cancer that start in the blood vessels. Hepatoblastoma is typically diagnosed in young children under the age of 4.
Treatment
Treatment for liver cancer depends on the stage and extent of disease, the functioning of the organ and the overall health of the individual. The Mayo Clinic lists a variety of treatment options for liver cancer, including surgery, ablative therapies, embolization and chemotherapy. Surgery aims to remove the cancerous part of the liver, or in some cases, perform a liver transplant to replace the diseased organ. Ablative therapies use electrical currents, laser light or alcohol to kill cancerous tissue, and embolization is a procedure that cuts off blood flow to the tumor, starving and eventually destroying the tumor. If an individual is not able to have any of the previously mentioned therapies, chemotherapy is an option for these patients, although liver cancer is generally not responsive to chemotherapy.
