Liver Cancer Diagnosis and Symptoms

Patients with liver cancer generally are elderly. Primary liver cancer is cancer that starts in the liver and including the potentially fatal type of cancer. In addition to primary liver cancer that arises in the heart, there are also known as secondary liver cancer that originated in other body parts, such as the intestines, before spreading to the liver.

Many occurred in Developing Countries
Liver cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer among men and the seventh among women. About 85% of liver cancer cases in the world occur in countries that are still developing. The cause of high incidence of liver cancer in countries that are still developing is a high incidence of hepatitis B and C in these countries, including Indonesia.

59% of liver cancer cases in developing countries are still caused by hepatitis B and 33% by hepatitis C. While in countries that have been developed such as countries in Europe, the main cause of liver cancer is high alcohol consumption and obesity are increasing ,

In Indonesia, it is estimated there are approximately 33,000 new cases of liver cancer each year. This figure is expected to rise as the number of patients with hepatitis B and C, which currently reaches 30 million people.

Important Organ Liver Function
With hundreds of functions are executed, the liver becomes one of the most complex organ in the human body. Liver cancer is classified as a serious disease caused by obstruction of the functions of the liver, even completely stop it. Here are some of the most important functions of the liver:

• Eliminate toxins from the body
• Digest proteins and fats
• Producing fat destroyer liquid (bile) that aids digestion
• Helps control blood clotting

Recognizing Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Symptoms of the disease usually shaped less common or specific such as fatigue and nausea. Many people who just feel the symptoms are evident after the cancer reaches an advanced stage. Symptoms of liver cancer include:

• Fatigue
• Weight loss without cause
• Nausea
• Gag
• Jaundice (skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow due to increased levels of bilirubin in the human body)

Cirrhosis : Main Cause of Liver Cancer
The exact cause of liver cancer is still unknown, but the disease is estimated to be related to tissue damage cells of the liver, such as cirrhosis of the liver disease. Cirrhosis may be caused by:

Infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C

• Abuse of alcohol - consuming alcohol more than the recommended amount.
• Obesity is also believed to increase the risk of liver cancer because it is closely related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease = NAFLD).

Diagnosis of Liver Cancer Early as Possible
If your GP suspects or diagnoses you have liver cancer, you will be referred to a specialist hospital for further examination. The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the more effective the treatment is given.

In fact, only 1 in 5 people who survive at least one year after being diagnosed with liver cancer. And only 1 out of 20 sufferers were able to survive at least five years. This is because as many as 9 out of 10 new patients are diagnosed when the cancer is already at an advanced stage. In most sufferers, the cancer has grown too severe to be cured.

So to liver cancer can be diagnosed early, people who are at high risk for getting the disease are advised to consult routinely and regularly. Groups of people at high risk are those who are positive are infected with hepatitis C or have ever suffered from cirrhosis. The benefits of routine examinations is to diagnose liver cancer at an early stage, when treatment is more likely to total recovery.

Three Alternative Treatment of Liver Cancer
Stage of cancer determines what type of treatment to be given to patients. If cancer is diagnosed are already at an advanced stage of the condition, the treatment is only intended to reduce pain and discomfort in the patient for the rest of his life. But it is different if the cancer can be diagnosed before they develop more severe, then the condition is more likely to be addressed.

There are at least three ways in treating liver cancer. The first is radiofrequency ablation, the use of an electrical device that is specifically used to destroy cancer cells in the liver. The second is the surgical resection, the process of appointment of certain parts of the organ infected liver. The third is a liver transplant, which is to replace the liver of patients with liver organ donor.

Prevent Liver Cancer with Healthy Living
The risk of liver cancer can be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle such as diet and exercise regularly so that the body avoid obesity, as well as avoiding the consumption of liquor and cigarettes.

Additionally, you can also avoid the risk of infection with hepatitis B and C with vaccination and have sex safely. If you want a body piercing or tattooing, make sure to do it in a place that has the tools with a guaranteed level of sterility.

Diagnosis of Liver Cancer

People who are more at risk of developing liver cancer need to undergo periodic examination. Generally you will undergo the examination as follows:

Monitoring for Detection of Liver Cancer Intensive
If you belong to a group of people at high risk of liver cancer as patients with cirrhosis, it is advisable to perform periodic checks every six months.

Examination usually through two stages, namely blood tests and ultrasonography (USG). The blood test used to detect the presence or absence of a protein in the blood called alpha fitoprotein (AFP). In addition, ultrasound or ultrasound done to determine abnormalities in the liver.

Tests Confirm Diagnosis
There are several tests that can be used to confirm the diagnosis of liver cancer, namely:

• MRI scan
• CT scan
• Biopsy
• laparoscopy

However, you do not need to use all kinds of tests to make the diagnosis.

Stages of Development of Liver Cancer
Ranking System Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) divides the five stages of development of liver cancer as follows:

• Stadium o: the patient is still in a healthy condition and heart function well, but there are tumors less than 2 cm in diameter.
• Stage A: The patient is in good health and his heart is functioning normally. But it has grown a tumor diameter of less than 5 cm, or there are three or more tumor with a diameter less than 3 cm.
• Stage B: there are multiple tumors in the liver, but it has not affected his liver function.
• Stage C: the cancer has begun to spread into the blood vessels, into the surrounding lymph nodes or other parts of the body. The body of people with not so healthy and his liver function does not work so well.
• Stage D: si sufferers begin to show symptoms of the final stages of liver disease, such as a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Heart has lost most of its functional capabilities.

Symptoms of Liver Cancer

Generally, people with early-stage liver cancer do not have symptoms that means. New symptoms will be seen clearly at an advanced stage. Yet some of the following symptoms may be wary as a symptom of liver cancer:

• Feeling very tired and weak
• Dark urine
• Stomach ache
• Itchy
• Liver swell
• Feeling of nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss for no reason
• The skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow
• Consult your doctor if you experience the symptoms above.

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