Cancer is a disease, which not only affects the functioning and damages an organ of the body, but gradually spreads through the body and destroys overall health. It is an incurable disease that has greatly reduced the lives of many people. The liver is the main and largest organ that performs many functions in the body. Being the largest organ, it is divided into four parts: the right lobe, left lobe, caudate lobe and the square lobe. The portal vein connects the intestine and liver.
Liver cancers often develop due to metastatic cancers, which occur in different parts of the body and then spread to the liver. Malignant tumors that occur inside and outside the liver can cause great damage to the liver and eventually become an obstacle in its functioning. Cancer that occurs from inside the liver is referred to as hypocellular carcinoma . The liver is made of many types of cells and tissues that are prone to developing cancerous tumors. This stage dramatically lowers the survival rate and makes the person weaker. This disease causes serious damage to the body, pain and suffering. Therefore, a cancer patient should seek immediate treatment to reduce the severity of the cancer.
Causes and symptoms
Infectious viruses present in our environment have a tendency to develop health problems that are harmful to us. Hepatitis B is the leading cause that leads to different stages of liver disease. Chronic hepatitis B and alcohol, drugs, medications, obesity and diabetes are some of the causes that develop liver cancer. Our way of life greatly influences our health.
Liver diseases go through 5 different stages. Cancer progresses faster and that is why many of its symptoms go unnoticed. However, once the disease reaches its last stage, the following would be the symptoms:
- Weightloss
- Jaundice
- Loss of appetite
- Pain in the right part of the abdomen
- Discomfort and pain in the right shoulder blade
Complications
The last stage may involve liver failure and gastrointestinal bleeding (GI). This bleeding starts from the gastrointestinal tract and its intensity may vary depending on the severity of the disease. This bleeding could even prove fatal. The gastrointestinal tract extends from the mouth to the anus. Ranges of acute and massive gastrointestinal bleeding, lead to poor medical conditions, such as anemia, hypovolemia and even death.
Treatment and its side effects
Surgery
Cancer cannot be completely eliminated, but it can be treated either by liver transplantation or surgery. Doctors perform surgery to remove the affected part of the liver to avoid further damage. In the event that the cancer is severe, only a few patients are lucky to have a liver transplant. In this case, the entire liver of the patient is replaced by a healthy liver. These cases are rare to occur, since not many people find a liver donor. Another surgery that could kill cancer is cryosurgery in which cancerous tissues freeze to prevent the cancer from spreading.
Patients may go through pain after the first days of surgery. This pain can be lessened by taking prescription medications. However, each patient will have their time to recover from surgery.
Chemotherapy
This therapy includes drugs that kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is usually done after surgery, to remove the remaining cancer cells. The drugs used in this therapy are injected directly into the veins or administered through the mouth. In some cases, a pump is placed in the body, which releases drugs in the body. These medications target cancer cells, as well as healthy cells. Therefore, chemotherapy has proven to be an effective cancer treatment. Healthy cell damage can cause infectious diseases, bleeding, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Therefore, patients undergoing this therapy are prone to consume more medications to treat cancer, as well as to cure symptoms.
Radiation
therapy Radiation therapy uses x-rays to destroy or shrink cancerous tumors. A machine or drugs can be used to induce radiation in the body. This therapy could slow the progression of cancer and slightly increase the life expectancy of patients in the terminal phase. Radiation could hinder the progression of cancer cells, but it could cause tiredness, skin irritation, loss of appetite and even decrease the white blood cell count and reduce the strength of the immune system.
This disease is one of the common types of cancer that has claimed the lives of many. People with a history of substance abuse and alcohol consumption have also suffered from late stage liver cancer. Cancerous diseases are incurable, so it is important to take good health care.
