Cancer news
Liver Cancer
What is Liver Cancer?
The liver is the largest internal organ in the body. It lies under the right ribs just beneath the right lung and diaphragm. The liver is shaped like a pyramid and is divided into two lobes, right and left. Unlike most other organs, the liver receives blood from two sources. The hepatic artery supplies the liver with blood that is rich in oxygen. The portal vein carries nutrient-rich blood from the intestines to the liver.
The cells in the liver are meant to divide to replace those that die of injury or old age. Like all cell division in the body, this process is tightly controlled by the “genes” within each cell to proceed in an orderly and controlled manner. Liver cancer starts within a single cell. Something changes the control mechanisms within this cell, and it starts dividing in a disorganized, uncontrolled manner. The abnormal cell makes millions of copies of itself, called “clones”, which fail to perform the normal functions of liver cells, but are only intent on dividing to make more clones Eventually these abnormal cells form a clump, or tumor. A tumor is merely a swelling, and isn’t necessarily cancerous.
There are two types of tumors. 1. Benign Tumors. This is not cancer and Hemangioma is the most common type of benign liver tumor. It starts in blood vessels. Because most of these tumors don’t cause symptoms, they do not need treatment, although some may bleed and need to be removed by surgery. 2. Malignant Tumors. Malignant Tumors is cancer and have a capacity to spread to any area of the body. This process of spread is called metastasis . It is this capacity to spread to other vital organs that makes cancer so dangerous.
Treatments?
Treatments will vary according to the individual. Some of the possible treatments are: surgery, liver transplantation, chemotherapy and radiation.
- Liver transplantation is the replacement of one liver with another.
- Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Surgery is usually not an option. Surgery is usually not an option because leukemia cells can spread to all the organs via the blood stream and the lymph vessels.
- Radiation therapy is the use of x rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Sometimes the best approach is to use 2 or more of these methods. If the cancer can’t be cured, the goal may be to remove or destroy as much of the cancer as possible to prevent the tumor from growing, spreading, or coming back for as long as possible. - Surgery offers the only chance to cure liver cancer. If all of the cancer that the surgeon can see at the time of the operation can be removed, you have the best outlook for survival. Unfortunately, complete removal of most liver cancers is not possible. Often the cancer is large, is found in many different parts of the liver, or has spread beyond the liver. Also, many people with cirrhosis do not have enough healthy liver tissue left to make surgery an option.
Liver cancer sites
- Liver Cancer Network - The Liver Cancer Network. Presented by The Liver Program at Allegheny General Hospital, this web site has been designed to provide information …
- American Cancer Society - You’ve heard the term “liver cancer” before, but what does it mean? … While there are other types of liver cancer, the most common form in adults is …
- Liver Cancer - Gives general liver cancer information about diagnosis and treatment.
- Varied liver cancer links about this condition from the US National Library of Medicine.
- Primary liver cancer : CancerBACUP - This section is about primary cancer of the liver. It describes what it is, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and some possible side effects.
