Liver cancer

Liver cancer, annually this scary diagnosis are made to about 250 thousand patients worldwide. Primary cancer of a liver (at which the malignant tumor is localized in a liver) meets by 30 times less than secondary (metastatic) at which in a liver only tumor shoots appear.

The fact that primary form of cancer of liver meets most often in South Africa is remarkable, Senegal, China and India, and men get sick with it 4 times more often than women. An age boundary when the probability to develop cancer of a liver increases – 40 years.

What liver cancer is?

As it was stated above, distinguish two types of cancer of liver: primary and secondary.

At primary type, cancer cells are formed in a liver in the form of single or multiple formations of a dense etiology of whitish color, without accurate outlines. This type of a tumor quickly burgeons in vessels of body and extends on all liver, forming metastasises. Liver cancer often develops at a chronic viral hepatitis In, against the background of cirrhosis, and will very badly respond to treatment. At secondary cancer of a liver, metastasises of a tumor get into a liver from other bodies where the malignant new growth is localized. Depending on a liver cancer stage, at a secondary form, treatment can yield good result and prolong life to the patient up to 4-5 years.

Depending on type of cells which are surprised cancer distinguish the epithelial, not epithelial and mixed cancer type.

From epithelial fabrics there is cholangiocellular cancer affecting bilious channels, hepatocellular – striking liver cells, gepato-cholangiocellular – the mixed type and undifferentiated type of cancer of liver.

The gemangioendotelioma is formed of not epithelial fabrics, and carry to the mixed type of malignant tumors of cancer of liver carcinosarcomas and hepatoblastomas.

Liver cancer origins

Unfortunately, today, scientists cannot precisely allocate, origins of malignant tumors and to define probable predisposition to cancer of any etiology. With a certain share of confidence it is possible to speak about genetic predisposition, also the probability of developing of cancer of liver increases at confluence of certain circumstances. It is accepted to carry the high level of environmental pollution, an unhealthy way of life of the person, quality and character of food, existence of chronic diseases of a liver to such circumstances.

Researches show that development of cancer of liver is promoted by the excess content of iron in an organism, cholelithiasis, hepatitis B, syphilis, liver infection with parasites, and also alcoholism.

Work on harmful productions can make high cancerogenic impact on a liver. Such products of chemical industry as the polychlorinated diphenyls, organic chlorine-containing pesticides, the chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents, emit harmful substances which, at hit in an organism, cause growth of cancer cells.

And even the use of artificial food, vegetables and fruit for which cultivation pesticides and growth-promoting factors were used significantly increases risk of development of malignant tumors. Some organic compounds which contain in food stuffs for example in a peanut, can also cause cancer.

Liver cancer symptoms

Liver cancer, as well as any malignancy in a human body, causes the general weakness, a hypodynamia, a loss of appetite, anemia, nausea and vomiting and, as a result, loss of weight. The patient with cancer of a liver begins "to feel" the struck body, in a case with a liver is a weight and pains in right hypochondrium, increase in the sizes and a relief of a surface of body. It should be noted that these manifestations directly depend on a liver cancer stage, but considering that primary cancer develops and progresses quickly, in 2-3 weeks later began diseases, at a palpation changes of the sizes and the surface of a liver clearly are felt, in some cases, it is even possible to probe a tumoral node.

At development of cancer against the background of cirrhosis, and it happens in 60-90% of cases, at the patient pains sharply amplify, jaundice accrues, body temperature increases, there are nasal bleedings and a vascular reticulum on skin. Also from symptoms of cancer of liver it is possible to allocate expansion of saphenas of an abdominal wall, gastrointestinal bleedings, obturatsionny jaundice, ascites.

At secondary type of cancer of liver, metastasises can be in the liver, lymph nodes of portal fissures, and also in other bodies of an organism (lungs, kidneys, a pancreas, etc.).

Diagnosis of cancer of liver

At an initial stage, it is rather difficult to diagnose liver cancer, in view of lack of specific symptoms. And as the disease quickly progresses, the patient addresses doctors when there are already severe pains in right hypochondrium, fever, weakness, deformation of a stomach because of strongly increased body and other symptoms of cancer of liver.

Initial diagnosis of cancer of liver is the palpation of body, then ultrasonography (ultrasonography), laboratory analyses on bilirubin in blood and urobilin in urine is shown. In disputable cases the magnetic resonance tomography of a liver (MRT) and/or the computer tomography (CT) is carried out. But one of the most reliable researches is the puncture of a liver which allows to obtain exact data on morphology of a disease and to distinguish liver cancer from similar diseases.

Patients from risk group, for identification of an initial stage of cancer of liver, can carry out the analysis on the content of fetoproteins to blood. At increase in these substances, in 70-90% of cases it is possible to judge existence of a malignant tumor.

Cancer therapy of a liver

Unfortunately, this type of cancer will very badly respond to treatment, in view of importance of a liver as body, in life activity of a human body. The surgical oncotomy is possible only at an early stage, and on condition of formation of the isolated nodes of the small size. It is possible to establish a possibility of an oncotomy only during opening of an abdominal cavity (laparotomy), but, as a rule, in most cases such patients are considered incurable and carry out by him only a symptomatic treatment for simplification of a state.

The intravenous chemotherapy in cancer therapy of a liver, also does not give the necessary effect, only administration of drugs in a hepatic artery it is possible to achieve some positive takes.

At metastasises in a liver, cancer therapy of a liver depends on localization of nodes. Operation is performed, only if one hepatic lobe is struck and there are no signs of metastasises in other bodies.

Forecast of cancer of liver

As it was already told above, liver cancer very quickly progresses, thereby reducing chances of successful treatment. Patients with such diagnosis often treat group of incurable. Literally in 3-4 months from the moment of the beginning of a disease there can come the death of the patient. On condition of resectable cancer of a liver, the forecast such is that life expectancy makes 3-5 years after a successful oncotomy.

Prevention of a disease

As it became clear, development of cancer of liver is promoted highly by a chronic viral hepatitis In, liver parasitic diseases, impact on an organism of poisons of chemical industry, a way of life and addictions, namely alcoholism. Therefore prevention of cancer of liver consists in care of the health, about the environment, maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And also at slightest "malfunctions" in work of an organism, emergence of any frightening symptoms, it is necessary to see surely a doctor, in time the revealed disease will much easier respond to treatment and gives chance of recovery.