Liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma, is more common in men aged 50-60 in Asia and Africa. It is caused by liver scarring or cirrhosis, often due to alcohol abuse or hepatitis. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and jaundice. Diagnosis involves liver scans and blood tests, and treatment may include a liver transplant or surgery. Prevention includes avoiding alcohol and getting vaccinated against hepatitis B. Prognosis is poor if the tumor cannot be removed.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is commonly called liver cancer. This type of malignant tumor is typically found more often in men than in women. Hepatocellular carcinoma usually occurs in individuals between the ages of 50 and 60. This cancer is more common in Asia and parts of Africa than in Europe or North and South America. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary cancer and differs from metastatic liver cancer, which originates in another part of the body such as the colon or breast, and then spreads to the liver.
Liver cancer is usually caused by liver scarring or cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is typically caused by alcohol abuse, hepatitis, or autoimmune disease. People with hepatitis B or C may be at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, even if they don’t have cirrhosis. Hepatitis is typically transmitted by sharing contaminated needles and through the exchange of bodily fluids.
Symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma can include pain or tenderness in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, easy bleeding or bruising, an enlarged or swollen abdomen, and jaundice. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and eyes related to an overproduction of bile. Other symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma often include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
Diagnostic tests that can reveal hepatocellular carcinoma include a liver biopsy, liver X-rays or scans, and blood tests of liver function. The liver cancer patient’s physical exam often shows a tender and enlarged liver. After a definitive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma has been made, many high-risk patients may receive regular ultrasounds and blood tests to determine whether the tumors are progressing.
Treatment for liver cancer might include a liver transplant. If hepatocellular carcinoma is diagnosed early, a transplant can be successful, yet very few people are diagnosed early. Radiation and chemotherapy are generally not effective, but they can be used to shrink the size of large tumors so that they are easier to remove by surgery.
Typically, the prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma is poor because most liver tumors cannot be removed by surgery. If the tumor cannot be completely removed, the disease is usually fatal within three to six months. Survival rates vary widely, however, and some patients may survive longer. Complications of hepatocellular carcinoma can include gastrointestinal bleeding, metastases, and liver failure.
Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma generally includes avoiding excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. It also usually includes the prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis. Getting the hepatitis B vaccination in early childhood can reduce the risk of liver cancer in adulthood.
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