The liver is the largest organ in the body. It has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food and converting food into substances needed for life and growth.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 19,160 new cases of primary liver cancer and intrahepatic bile duct cancer will be diagnosed in the United States during 2007 with approximately 16,780 people that will die of these cancers. Early detection and treatment are key to successfully beating this “silent disease.”
Liver Cancer Risk Factors
Your chances of developing liver cancer increase with each risk factor that applies to you. However, there are many people with several of these liver cancer risk factors that never do develop liver cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, several liver cancer risk factors have been identified.
Chronic liver infection (hepatitis)—Liver cancer can develop after many years of infection with a virus, which may or may not cause symptoms. However, blood tests will show if a virus is present. The most important risk factor for liver cancer is a chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus or the hepatitis C virus. These viruses can be passed from person to person through blood or sexual contact. An infant may catch these viruses from an infected mother.
People who are not infected with hepatitis B may receive a vaccine, which can prevent chronic hepatitis B infection.
Cirrhosis—Approximately 5 percent of people with cirrhosis develop liver cancer. Cirrhosis is a disease that develops when liver cells are replaced with scar tissue after damage from alcohol abuse, certain drugs and other chemicals and certain viruses or parasites.
Aflatoxin—Liver cancer can be caused by aflatoxin, a harmful substance made by certain types of mold. Aflatoxin can form on peanuts, corn and other nuts and grains. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not allow the sale of foods that have high levels of aflatoxin.
Gender—Men are twice as likely as women to develop liver cancer.
Family history—Your chances of getting liver cancer increase if you have family members with a history of the disease.
Age—Nationwide, people over the age of 60 have a higher liver cancer incidence rate.
Liver Cancer Symptoms
In its early stages, liver cancer often does not show any symptoms, giving it the nickname “silent disease.” As liver cancer develops, symptoms may begin to appear. Only your doctor can actually diagnose the disease, but here are a few liver cancer symptoms that may appear. See your doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms.
- Pain in the upper abdomen on the right side; the pain may extend to the back and shoulder
- Swollen abdomen (bloating)
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite and feelings of fullness
- Weakness or feeling very tired
- Nausea and vomiting
- Yellow skin and eyes and dark urine from jaundice
- Fever
Liver cancer only can be cured in the early stages before it begins to spread. Since liver cancer symptoms often do not appear until the disease has advanced, only a small number of liver cancers are found in the early stages and can be removed with surgery. Aggressive surgery or liver transplantation may be successful in treating small or slow-growing tumors if they are diagnosed early. Surgery is the common method of liver cancer treatment, although there are other treatments that may help control the disease and its symptoms.
UT Medical Center is home to CyberKnife, a revolutionary technology that enables treatment of tumors throughout the body at greater convenience and comfort to the patient than other radiosurgery systems such as Gamma Knife.
CyberKnife, a non-invasive, image guided, high-energy radiation treatment, often is used for tumors and is capable of treatment throughout the entire body. CyberKnife delivers precise beams of radiation from many angles outside the body without requiring the use of a metal head frame. The accuracy is so precise, in fact, that radiation can be matched to the shape of small complex tumors—even those close to critical organs. This technology is able to treat conditions such as liver cancer, even tumors that are considered inoperable or untreatable with surgery or other options.
