Liver tumors can be benign or malignant and can arise in the liver or metastasize from other parts of the body. Symptoms vary, and diagnosis usually requires medical imaging and biopsy. Treatment depends on the type of tumor.
A liver tumor is an area of uncontrolled cell growth in or on the liver. Like cancers elsewhere in the body, liver cancers arise when something goes wrong during cell division, leading cells to replicate with no control in place instead of reproducing and dying in the normal way. Depending on the type of liver tumor involved, the tumor may be identified in diagnostic screening or it may remain unknown until someone dies of other causes and the tumor is discovered by an autopsy.
There are two types of liver tumors: benign and malignant. In the case of a benign tumor, the growth shouldn’t cause health problems such as blocked veins or the spread of secondary tumors. Benign liver tumors often go undiagnosed and are sometimes discovered by accident during testing or investigation for something else. Malignant tumors, also known as cancerous tumors, pose a threat to your health and can severely damage the liver as well as spread throughout the body.
Some liver cancers are primary, which means they arise in the liver itself. One of the most common forms of primary liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma. Others are secondary cancers that occur when tumors elsewhere in the body metastasize. Tumors on nearby organs can make a quick trip to the liver, and secondary cancers can also come from more remote parts of the body. Conversely, primary liver cancers can spread to other parts of the body.
Medical imaging can usually reveal liver cancer, although a biopsy will be needed to find out more. Sometimes liver tumors grow large enough to feel like a mass during normal palpation of the abdomen. In both cases, the therapeutic approach to the tumor varies according to whether it is malignant or not. Malignant tumors generally need to be removed and the body will need to be treated with medications designed to prevent regrowth, while benign tumors can be left in situ.
Symptoms of liver tumors can vary. Some people do not experience any symptoms, especially in the case of benign tumors. In other cases, people may feel tired or may develop jaundice as the tumor interferes with liver function. Jaundice is very recognizable, thanks to the yellow tint that appears in the eyes and skin of patients with jaundice. The tumor can also cause abdominal discomfort, lack of appetite or digestive problems.
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