What is liver cancer? There are two main kinds of liver cancer and they are Heptoma and cholangiocarcinoma where Heptoma is cancer of the hepatocytes that is the main functioning liver cell. Hepatoma is primary liver cancer and usually grows in the liver as a ball-like tumor, invading the normal tissue surrounding it. Cancer of the bile duct cells is called cholangiocarcinoma that is secondary cancer and it originates in the bile ducts as well as is often caused by infestation with the liver fluke Clonorchis.

Liver Cancer Symptom:  

Detection of the liver disorder:

Liver cancer has become very common and two-thirds of people have advanced liver disease when they seek medical help, one third of the patients have cancer that has not progressed beyond the liver. Hepatitis is one of the main causes of cancer and people who have this problem are most likely to suffer from liver cancer. Abdominal pain is one of the key symptoms generally the initial and most frequent symptom and it can be an indication for the initial stage of cancer. Another basic symptoms are universal that including weakness and weight loss, although symptoms vary in different parts of the world. One should consult the doctor straight away when one undergoes this problem and if this is detected then the treatment can begin before the problem aggravates.

Basic symptoms:

Tiredness is another important symptom and its not comforted by rest and can affect you physically, psychologically and emotionally. In some cases there is a loss of apatite and in these cases Steroids prescribed by your doctor may increase your appetite. Some people suffer from nausea and by changing the chemical balance in the blood. Nausea can often be effectively relieved by anti-sickness tablets. There is a great variety of anti-emetics available and your doctor will find the one that suits you best and that problem can be cured. In extreme cases there is a usage of steroids as these can help to relieve sickness and make you feel more energetic, as well as improving your appetite.

Other symptoms:

There are various other symptoms like heavy pain because enlarged liver stretches the capsule that surrounds it resulting into this problem. Chemotherapy is used so that it can shrink the enlarged liver will relieve the pain, but there are also some effective types of painkillers available that your doctor can prescribe. There are many doctors who prescribe strong pain killers but they have sude effects like consitipation hence it is important to try to have a diet high in fibre and drink plenty of fluids and if this kind of a diet if followed then these problems are minimised.

Liver Cancer Treatment:

What are the treatments of liver cancer?

The treatments to liver cancer are surgery, liver transplantation, Chemotherapy and radiation where liver transplantation is the replacement of one liver with another. Radiation therapy is the use of x rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors and Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells also it is sometimes used to treat primary liver cancers that cannot be removed. Chemotherapy drugs are usually given by injection into a vein or by injecting the drug directly into the hepatic artery that is the blood vessel that takes blood to the liver.

In surgery, leukemia cells can spread to all the organs via the blood stream and the lymph vessels hence surgery is usually not an option.

What are the side effects of the treatment?

Constipation, delirium, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, are common problems for cancer patients and also the growth and spread of cancer, and cancer treatment, contributes to these conditions but not all cancer patients will experience the same side effects. Here constipation is the slow movement of feces through the large intestine resulting in infrequent bowel movements and the passage of dry, hard stools.

Delirium is a malfunction of the brain where people experiencing delirium may be in and out of consciousness and often have problems with attention, thinking, perception, emotion, memory, muscle control, sleeping, and waking. Next is fatigue which is extreme tiredness or exhaustion and extreme usually occurs with people receiving treatment for their cancer.

Nausea and vomiting can be stimulated by various triggers, such as smell, taste, anxiety, pain, motion, changes in the body caused by inflammation, poor blood flow, or irritation and is the most common side effect.