Liver cancer or hepatoma is the 5th most common cancer in the world. It arises from liver cells and can either be a primary cancer or metastatic cancer. It is a deadly cancer which kills most of its patients. The World Health Organization reported that there are about 430,000 new cases of liver cancer each year.
Symptoms - Unexplainable weight loss and swollen tummy may be a manifestation of liver cancer. Dark urine may also be noticed due to the bile that the liver can’t wash away. Having these symptoms, the patient must seek professional consultation to further evaluate his/her condition.
Treatment - Treatment options depend on the stage of the liver cancer. Though there are lots of treatment options available, liver transplantation is the only proven cure. It is effective for tumors with less than 3cm in size. The physician may also remove the tumor that small through partial hepatic resection.
However, patients with cancer may also have liver cirrhosis. In this case, the patient can’t tolerate liver resection surgery. However, they can, probably, tolerate liver transplant. On the other hand, other modes of treatment such as chemotherapy, chemoembolization, ablation and proton beam therapy remain disappointing.
Prevention – Changing one’s lifestyle prevents an individual for having the disease.
- Quit smoking. Smoking is always linked to a person who has liver or other types of cancer.
- Quit drinking alcohol beverages. Alcohol consumption and abuse increases the risk the developing liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.
- Hepatitis B vaccination provides protection for liver diseases such as cancer.
- Safe sex. Hepatitis C may be caused by unprotected sex and drug use due to contaminated needles.
- Retinoid derivative. One Japanese study states that a retinoid derivative was effective in preventing the development of liver cancer. Although the drug is not available in the U.S. yet, further study of this compound may be promising in reducing the incidence of hepatic cancers.
