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Hepatocellular carcinoma Causes and Risks:
Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for 80 to 90% of all liver cancers. It occurs more often in men than women, and occurs mostly in people 50 to 60 years old. The disease is more prevalent in parts of Africa and Asia than in North and South America and Europe. The cause of liver cancer is unknown, but contributing factors include chronic liver disease , viral hepatitis , hemochromatosis , known liver ( hepatic ) carcinogens, and toxins (mycotoxins) found in foods in parts of Africa and Asia. The incidence is 4 out of 10,000 people.
Prevention:
Control of known hepatic carcinogens may have a preventive effect.
Prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis may be beneficial in reducing risk.
Symptoms:
- abdominal pain or tenderness, particularly in the right-upper quadrant
Signs and Tests:
Physical examination shows an enlarged, tender liver.
This disease may also alter the following test results:
Treatment:
Aggressive surgery or liver transplantation may be successful in treating small or slow-growing tumors if they are diagnosed early.
Support Groups:
The stress of illness can often be helped by joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems. See liver disease - support group and cancer - support group .
Prognosis:
The probable outcome is poor. The course of the disease is rapid and usually fatal. Most patients die within 3 to 6 months.
Complications:
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider if persistent abdominal pain develops, particularly if there has been a history of any liver disease .
This illustration shows the major organs of the digestive system. Their relative sizes and positioning in the body are also demonstrated.
A liver biopsy is not a routine procedure, but is performed when it is necessary to determine the presence of liver disease and to look for malignancy, cysts, parasites, or other pathology. The actual procedure is only slightly uncomfortable. Most of the discomfort arises from being required to lie still for several hours afterwards to prevent bleeding from the biopsy site.
A CT scan of the upper abdomen showing an widespread (disseminated) carcinoma of the liver (hepato cellular carcinoma). The liver is the large organ on the left side of the picture. Note the moth-eaten appearance.
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