What is liver cancer?
Solution
Liver cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells of your liver. Your liver, which is located in the upper right part of your abdomen, is a large organ that performs many critical functions, including detoxifying harmful substances in your body, storing vitamins and nutrients, producing bile to help digest fats, and making proteins that help your blood clot.
There are several types of liver cancer, including:
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): This is the most common form of liver cancer in adults.
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Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: These cancers start in the cells that line the small bile ducts (tubes that carry bile to the gallbladder) inside the liver.
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Hepatoblastoma: This is a very rare type of liver cancer that usually affects children aged 3 and under.
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Angiosarcoma and Hemangiosarcoma: These are rare cancers that begin in the blood vessels of the liver.
The exact cause of liver cancer is unknown, but several factors can increase your risk of developing the disease, including chronic infection with hepatitis B or C, cirrhosis, certain inherited liver diseases, diabetes, obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption.
Symptoms of liver cancer often do not appear until the disease is at an advanced stage, but they may include loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, general weakness and fatigue, abdominal swelling, yellow discoloration of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice), and white, chalky stools.
Diagnosis of liver cancer typically involves a physical exam, blood tests, imaging tests, and sometimes a liver biopsy. Treatment options depend on the stage of the cancer and may include surgery, liver transplant, ablation therapy, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy.
It's important to note that early detection and treatment can improve the prognosis for liver cancer. Therefore, people at high risk of the disease should have regular check-ups.
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