Cholangiocarcinoma , more commonly known as bile duct cancer, develops in the small, tube-like bile ducts in the liver. These ducts carry bile to the gallbladder to help with digestion. Bile duct cancer accounts for approximately 10 to 20 percent of all liver cancers. Liver angiosarcoma is a rare form of liver cancer that begins in the blood vessels of the liver.
Hepatoblastoma is an extremely rare type of liver cancer. With surgery and chemotherapy, the outlook for people with this type of cancer can be very good. When hepatoblastoma is detected in the early stages, the survival rate is higher than 90 percent. When symptoms do appear, they may include:. However, there are certain factors that are known to increase the risk of developing liver cancer:.
The diagnosis of liver cancer begins with a medical history and a physical examination. Make sure to tell your doctor if you have a history of long-term alcohol abuse or a chronic hepatitis B or C infection. Another diagnostic test available is a liver biopsy. A liver biopsy involves removing a small piece of liver tissue. In most cases, a needle biopsy is performed. During this procedure, your doctor will insert a thin needle through your abdomen and into your liver to obtain a tissue sample.
The sample is then examined under a microscope for signs of cancer. A liver biopsy might also be performed using a laparoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube with an attached camera. The camera allows your doctor to see what the liver looks like and to perform a more precise biopsy. The laparoscope is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen.
If tissue samples from other organs are needed, your doctor will make a larger incision. This is called a laparotomy. If liver cancer is found, your doctor will determine the stage of the cancer. Staging describes the severity or extent of the cancer.
It can help your doctor determine your treatment options and your outlook. Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of liver cancer. Your specific treatment plan will be based on these factors. Liver cancer treatments may include the following:. A hepatectomy is performed to remove either a portion of the liver or all of the liver. This surgery is usually done when the cancer is confined to the liver. Over time, the remaining healthy tissue will regrow and replace the missing part.
A liver transplant involves replacing the entire diseased liver with a healthy liver from a suitable donor. Medicines to prevent rejection are given after the transplant. Ablation involves the use of heat or ethanol injections to destroy the cancer cells.
This numbs the area to prevent you from feeling any pain. Chemotherapy is an aggressive form of drug therapy that destroys cancer cells.
The medications are injected intravenously, or through a vein. In most cases, chemotherapy can be given as an outpatient treatment. Chemotherapy can be effective in treating liver cancer, but many people experience side effects during treatment, including vomiting, decreased appetite, and chills.
Chemotherapy can also increase your risk of infection. The viruses may also be passed on through blood transfusion, though this risk has been greatly reduced in the United States since the start of blood testing for these viruses.
Obesity: Being obese may increase the chances of developing liver cancer, probably through development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis NASH and eventually, cirrhosis. Anabolic steroids: Used by athletes to increase strength and muscle mass, the long-term use of anabolic steroids male hormones may slightly increase the risk of developing liver cancer. Cortisone-like steroids such as hydrocortisone, dexamethasone and prednisone do not carry the same risk. Arsenic: Chronic exposure to naturally occurring arsenic through drinking water contaminations in some wells increases the risk of developing some forms of liver cancer.
Aflatoxins: These are cancer-causing substances made by a fungus that contaminates wheat, corn, soybeans, rice and some types of nuts. Contamination usually occurs due to storage of the food stuff in a moist, warm environment, more common in warmer and tropical countries. Long-term exposure to aflatoxins is a major liver cancer risk factor, especially in people with hepatitis B or C infections. Regular testing by the federal government regulates the content of aflatoxins in foods in the United States.
Exposure to certain chemicals: Exposure to vinyl chloride a chemical used in the making of some plastics and thorium dioxide a chemical previously used for X-ray testing may increase the risk of angiosarcoma of the liver. In recent years, strict regulation on exposure to these chemicals has been imposed in the United States.
Cirrhosis of the liver: Cirrhosis occurs when liver cells become damaged and are replaced by scar tissue. People with cirrhosis have an increased risk of liver cancer. In most cases up to 90 percent of the cases in the United States , people who develop HCC have underlying cirrhosis. Common cancer symptoms Facts and figures Explore What is cancer?
Jump to:. Jump to section. About liver cancer. Screening and Early Detection. What is liver cancer? There are different types: hepatocellular carcinoma HCC or hepatoma, is the most common type of primary liver cancer and it starts in the main cell type in the liver, the hepatocytes cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, starts in the cells lining the bile ducts which connect the liver to the bowel and gall bladder angiosarcoma, which starts in the blood vessels.
This is a rare type of liver cancer that is more likely to occur in people over Liver cancer symptoms Liver cancer symptoms are more likely to appear as the cancer grows or becomes advanced.
Symptoms may include: weakness and tiredness pain in the abdomen swelling of the abdomen due to a build-up of fluid ascites pain in the right shoulder appetite loss and feeling sick weight loss yellowing of the skin and eyes jaundice pale bowel motions fever. Causes of liver cancer Hepatitis B or C viruses which result in long term chronic infection can cause liver cancer. There are other factors that can increase the risk of developing liver cancer, such as: fatty liver disease or genetic disorders including haemochromatosis, or alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency type 2 diabetes hepatitis B or C high alcohol consumption obesity smoking tobacco exposure to certain chemicals.
Diagnosis of liver cancer Tests to diagnose both liver cancer and secondary cancer of the liver include: Blood tests Blood tests can check how well the liver is working; and how well your blood clots; as well as checking certain chemicals known as tumour markers; whether you have hepatitis B or C; and any genetic problems. Ultrasound The most commonly used method to look for primary liver cancer, an ultrasound produces pictures of the organ, and can show the size and location of abnormal tissue in your liver.
MRI An MRI scan produces detailed cross-sectional pictures of the body, and can show the extent of a tumor and whether it is affecting the main blood vessels around the liver. Biopsy A biopsy is when a small amount of tissue is removed for examination under a microscope. Other tests If you have secondary cancer in the liver, you may have further tests to find out where the primary cancer started, if this is not already known.
Read more. Surgery Surgery can involve removing part of the liver, or a liver transplant, where the whole liver is replaced by a donor liver. Tumour ablation Tumour ablation is used most commonly for small primary liver cancers.
Chemotherapy Depending on the type of liver cancer you have, you may receive chemotherapy drugs to kill, shrink or slow the growth of the tumours. Biological therapy A range of treatments that work against the cancer cells by either stopping their growth or function, or by helping the body's immune system destroy them. Selective internal radiation therapy SIRT Also known as radioembolisation, this treatment targets liver tumours directly with high doses of internal radiation in tiny beads.
Endoscopic stent placement If the cancer in the liver has obstructed the bile duct and bile has then built up in the liver, it may be recommended that a stent thin tube is placed in your liver to drain the bile and ease symptoms.
Palliative care In some cases of liver cancer, your medical team may talk to you about palliative care. Screening for liver cancer There is currently no national screening program for liver cancer available in Australia. Preventing liver cancer Hepatitis C and B infections are the biggest known risk factors for primary liver cancer in Australia. Prognosis of liver cancer Prognosis means the expected outcome of a disease.
The prognosis for liver cancer is better when diagnosed in the early stages. Last medical review of source booklet: June Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Canberra: AIHW. Back to all cancer types.
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