Liver Cancer Treatment

Each year, around 7 lakh people are diagnosed with liver cancer worldwide. It is considered a disease that occurs in the liver cells that affects overall liver functioning and has poor effects on well-being. Oftentimes, liver cancer symptoms are not easy to detect at the initial stage. It is identified through the signs of jaundice, sudden weight loss, abdominal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, swelling in the stomach, etc. Liver cancer, another name as Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). The options of liver cancer treatment are surgeries, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and liver transplant. These methods manage symptoms and improve the patient’s overall condition and well-being. 

Different Types Of Liver Cancer

According to medical experts, various types of liver cancers can affect a person at any stage of life. Hence, understanding these types of liver cancer is indispensable to get early diagnosis and treatment. The following are the primary types of liver cancers. 

• Hepatocellular Carcinoma: It is found in hepatocytes in the bile ducts of the liver, an important liver cell that contributes to entire liver functioning. The chances of this cancer happening are in those people who drink a lot and are suffering from stomach infections and hepatitis. 
• Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma is known as bile duct cancer,  in the small bile ducts within the liver. It is less common than HCC, however, often detected at an advanced stage, which makes it difficult to treat or operate.   
• Hepatoblastoma: This is a rare kind of liver cancer that mainly affects children who are under five. This type of cancer is favorable to treat at the initial stage. 
• Fibrolamellar: This type of cancer is mostly diagnosed in people who are between 20 to 30s and it is not commonly associated with infections and hepatitis. The main cause of Fibrolamellar cancer is distinct genetics. Available treatment for this cancer is surgery.  
• Angiosarcoma and Hemangiosarcoma: This kind of unique liver cancer developed from the blood vessels within the liver in the body. It tends to be highly effective and often gets worse over time and make treatment difficult.
• Hepatic Leiomyosarcoma: This is also another type of uncommon liver cancer, born in smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels. Oftentimes, treatment of hepatic leiomyosarcoma cancer gets challenging due to late diagnosis. 

What Causes Liver Cancer?

• Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): NAFLD non-alcoholic fatty liver condition, is associated obese people who are experiencing fat-related issues on their liver. It is often linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome. In its advanced stage, this condition becomes the cause of liver cancer. A person who has been going through excessive fat issues for a long time may be affected by this. 
• Cirrhosis: This condition occurs because of a lot of health problems, such as excessive consumption of alcohol, NAFLD, certain types of metabolic issues, etc. Cirrhosis disturbs liver function and gives rise to HCC, and often leads to liver cancer. 
• Extreme Level of Alcohol Consumption: Long-term alcohol consumption is one of the main causes of liver cancer. It affects functioning and destroys important cells that play an important role in doing work of digestion. When a person increases their intake of alcohol, combines health also lead to liver cancer.  
• Aflatoxin Exposure: If a person is overly involved in an exposure to Aflatoxins, which are rare types of toxins, produced by molds that can contaminate crops like corn, rice, peanuts, etc. These toxins are mostly found in packet stored food and stale food. These toxins are also a big cause of liver cancer in an individual. 
• Chronic Hepatitis B and C: One of the main causes of liver cancer occurrence is chronic infections of the hepatitis B and C viruses. It gives rise to liver cancer in a person’s body. 

These infections can remain in the body for long years without showing any symptoms. It creates liver health-related issues like liver inflammation and scarring, known as Cirrhosis. Also, it can lead to the development of liver cancer, like HCC.   

Warning Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer 

Liver cancer occurs in stages, and the condition is detected through numerous symptoms. In the early stage, it may not show any symptoms, but as the illness progresses, it causes various health problems. The following are the identifying symptoms of liver cancer. 

• Sudden Weightless
• Continues Abdominal Pain
• Jaundice Problem 
• Feeling Dizziness
• Loss of Appetite 
• Diarrhea 
• Stomach Swelling
• Dark Urine
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Continues Bloating issues 

Treatment Options for Liver Cancer

The treatment procedure of liver cancer is directed by the doctors after checking factors like cancer stage, patient’s condition, liver function, and many more. Liver cancer treatment often gets hard and creates challenges to remove cancer tissues from the body. Here is the list of four liver cancer treatment options that are administered by the doctors on patients after examining their overall condition. Here is a brief overview of liver cancer treatment:

Surgery

• Hepatectomy: This is a surgical procedure done by the medical team to remove the specific area of the liver where the tumor or cancer is developed. In the early stage of HCC, this procedure might seem curative.  
• Liver Transplant: Liver transplant is suggested by the doctors to those persons who are going through the worst liver cancer condition. It includes replacing the whole liver with a healthy liver, donated by the family member or someone else. This is also a surgical procedure done by the combined medical experts in order to heal the patient. 
• Ablation: It is a radio wave treatment used to destroy abnormal cells in the body, the procedure performed by technical experts who have medical knowledge as well. This technique shrinks the size of the tumor or unhealthy cells in the body.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a medical treatment used to treat cancer patients. It is also used for various types of cancer by doctors. Chemo is given to the patients in many forms, including injections, IVS, and oral medications. Some systemic therapies are often reserved for advanced HCC, a type of cancer.  

Targeted Therapy 

There are some specific targeted therapies designed to remove cancer cells or tumors from the body, these involve sorafenib and regorafenib, and many more. The drugs are applied in advanced levels of HCC cases for those patients who are not undergoing transplant and surgery treatment. 

Immunotherapy

This therapy includes Nivalumab and pembrolizumab drugs, which stimulate the immune system to target unbalanced or unhealthy cells that are causing cancer. It is a popular liver cancer treatment opted for by doctors to treat liver cancer.