Liver Disease Cancer
Liver cancer is a disease in which cancer cells grow in the liver. The liver is located on the right side of the abdomen and has many functions, including: storing and metabolizing nutrients, and filtration and storage of blood.
The disease of cancer occurs when cells in the body (in this case liver cells) divide without control or order. Normally, cells divide in an organized manner. If cells keep dividing uncontrollably when new cells are not needed, a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. The term cancer refers to malignant tumors, which can invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body. A benign tumor does not invade or spread.
Causes of liver cancer:
No known cause of liver cancer, but research shows that certain risk factors are associated with disease
Risk Factors:
A risk factor is something that makes your chances of getting a disease or condition.
- Sex: Male
- Age: 40 years or more
- Infection with hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C
- Formation of scar tissue in the liver (called cirrhosis)
- Alcohol abuse
- Malnutrition
- Exposure to certain chemicals:
· Aflatoxin: a substance produced by a fungus that often infects wheat, peanuts, soybeans, corn and rice in subtropical regions.
· Vinyl Chloride and Thorium Dioxide: chemicals with strict control.
· Anabolic steroids: male hormones administered, sometimes for medical reasons, but also as taken by athletes to increase strength.
· Arsenic: a toxic chemical
Stages Liver Cancer:
· Stage of primary liver cancer in adults
Once detected primary liver cancer in adults, additional tests to determine if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body (staging). The following stages are used for the classification of primary liver cancer in adults:
Localized resectable:
Cancer is found in one part of the liver and can be removed completely in one operation.
Localized resectable :
Cancer is found in one part of the liver, but the cancer can not be removed completely.
Advanced:
The cancer has spread to much of the liver or other body parts.
Appellant:
Recurrent disease means the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. You can return to the liver or other body part
Liver Cancer Diagnosis:
Although the signs and symptoms usually do not occur until the later stages of liver cancer, can sometimes occur early and result in earlier diagnosis. Many signs and symptoms of liver cancer are relatively specific. Can be caused by other cancers or diseases that are not cancerous. Anyway, if you have any of these problems see your doctor immediately:
Liver Cancer Symptoms:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Anorexia (lack of appetite, persistent)
- Early satiety (feeling of being very full after a small meal)
- Persistent abdominal pain
- Abdominal swelling increases
- Jaundice (yellow skin and green eyes)
- Deterioration in the condition if you have chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis
- Enlargement of the liver or a mass that can be felt in the area of ??the liver
Some liver tumors produce hormones that act in organs other than the liver. These hormones may cause hypercalcemia (high levels of calcium in the blood), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar into the blood) and enlargement of male breasts.
High levels of calcium can lead to fatigue and low blood sugar can cause fainting or even coma. These unusual findings may make doctors suspect that the person has a disease of the nervous system or endocrine glands (hormone-producing), instead of liver cancer.
Liver Cancer Treatment:
Surgical treatment has two possibilities:
- Removal of the tumor mass
- Transplantation
In medical treatment, in the case of a single tumor with a diameter of less than four centimeters may be applied to intra-tumoral injection of ethyl alcohol. Chemotherapy alone does not give good results, so it is rarely given as a single treatment.
Liver Cancer Prevention:
a) You must perform many actions to prevent cancer. Avoid contact with carcinogenic substances: There are many substances used as cosmetics for the bath, beauty, etc. The most common of these is the Lauret (Lauryl Ether-Sodium Disulfide), which is found in nearly all soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, shaving creams, skin creams, etc.
Because many substances are in the water and atmosphere, it may be impossible to avoid all of them.
b) Avoid eating foods with carcinogens: do not eat food with preservatives, dyes and / or artificial flavors and industrially processed foods. Do not drink, smoke, combustion of snuff generates many carcinogens and alcoholic beverages contain artificial flavors and colors.
c) Eat raw garlic: Take about 3 to 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped, daily in the morning. Garlic (Allium sativum) contains sulfur compounds that inhibit organ-induced chemical carcinogenesis caused by some substance.
d) Eat vegetables, red and yellow: it was verified that alpha and beta carotene, act as antioxidants for cancer prevention, particularly to prevent liver cancer.
e) Take Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E): Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant to prevent liver cancer.