Prevention Of Liver Cancer

Reduce your risk of liver cirrhosis

Scarring of the liver cirrhosis, and increases the risk of liver cancer. To reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis if:

Drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all. If you choose to drink alcohol, limit the amount you drink. For women this means no more than one drink per day. For men, this means no more than two glasses a day.

Maintain a healthy weight. If your weight is healthy, working to avoid in choosing a healthy diet and exercise almost every day of the week. If you need to lose weight, reduce the number of calories you eat each day and increase the amount of exercise you do. Aim to lose weight slowly - 1 or 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kg) each week.

Be careful with chemicals. Follow the instructions on the chemicals used at home or at work.

Get vaccinated against hepatitis B

You can reduce your risk of hepatitis B to receive the vaccine against hepatitis B, which provides more than 90 percent protection for both adults and children. The vaccine may be given to almost everyone, including children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

Take steps to prevent hepatitis C

There is no vaccine for hepatitis C exists, but you can reduce your risk of infection.

Knowing the health status of any sexual partner. Not to engage in unprotected sex unless you are absolutely sure your partner is not infected with HBV, HCV or other sexually transmitted diseases. If you do not know the health status of your partner use a condom every time you have sex.

Do not use intravenous (IV) drugs, but if you do not, use a clean needle. The best way to protect against HCV is not injecting drugs. But if it is not an option for you, be sure to use any needle is sterile, and do not say. Related Accessories contaminated is a common cause of hepatitis C. Take advantage of needle exchange programs in their communities and also help to consider the use of drugs.

Looking for shopping safe, clean when doing a piercing or a tattoo. Needles that are not properly sterilized can transmit hepatitis C. Before getting a piercing or a tattoo, check out stores in your area and ask the staff about their security practices. If a store employee to refuse to answer questions or respond to their questions seriously, take this as a sign that the plant is not good for you.

Ask your doctor to screen for liver cancer

For the general population, the detection of liver cancer has not been shown to reduce the risk of dying of liver cancer usually is not recommended. The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases recommend screening for liver cancer for those who are considered high risk, including those who:

Hepatitis B and one or more of the following conditions: a male age 40 are Asian women, Asian or African 50 years during the 20 years old, have liver cirrhosis or a family history of liver cancer

Cirrhosis from other causes, such as an autoimmune disease or excessive alcohol consumption

Hepatitis C

A hereditary form of hemochromatosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of screening with your doctor. Together you can decide if it is right to screen, on the basis of risk. Typically, an ultrasound screening once or twice a year. Targeted drug therapy. Sorafenib (Nexavar) is targeted drugs designed to interfere with the tumor's ability to produce new blood vessels. Sorafenib has been shown to slow or stop the progression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in a few months longer than those without treatment. Further studies are needed to understand how this and other targeted therapies may be used for control of advanced cancer of the liver.

Treatment Of Liver Cancer

Treatments for primary liver cancer depends on the extent (stage) of disease, as well as your general health and personal preferences.

The goal of any treatment is to remove the tumor completely. When this is not possible, the focus would be to prevent the cancer to grow and spread. In some cases, the only comfort is the appropriate treatment. In this situation, the goal of treatment is to eliminate or slow the disease but relieves the symptoms, making you as comfortable as possible.

Treatment options for liver cancer may include:

Surgery to remove part of the liver. Your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the surface of liver cancer and a small portion of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor is small and if liver function is good.

Liver transplant surgery. During surgery, liver transplant, your diseased liver is removed and replaced with a healthy liver from a donor. The liver transplant surgery may be an option for some people with liver cancer early stage.

The freezing of the tumor cells. Cryoablation uses extreme cold to destroy cancer cells. During the procedure, the doctor places an instrument (cryoprobe) containing liquid nitrogen directly to liver tumors. Ultrasound images are used to guide the cryoprobe and monitor the freezing of the cells.

Heating cancer cells. In a procedure called radiofrequency ablation, the electrical current is used to heat and destroy cancer cells. Using ultrasound or CT guidance, the surgeon inserts a thin needle or more small incisions in the stomach. When the needles reach the tumor, are heated by electricity, destroying cancer cells.

The alcohol injection into the tumor. During the injection of alcohol is pure alcohol is injected directly into tumors, or through the skin or during an operation. Alcohol causes tumor cells to die.

Injection of chemotherapy drugs in the liver. Chemoembolization is a type of chemotherapy treatment that supplies strong anti-cancer drugs directly to the liver. During the procedure, chemotherapy drugs injected into the hepatic artery - the artery from which liver cancers derive their blood supply - and then the artery is blocked. This reduces the blood supply to cancer cells and deliver chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells.

Radiotherapy. This treatment uses energy beams of high power to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. During radiation treatment, you lie on a table and a machine directs the energy beam at a specific point on your body. Radiation therapy for liver cancer can involve a technique called stereotactic radiosurgery, which also focuses many beams of radiation at some point in the body. Side effects of radiation can include fatigue, nausea and vomiting.

Targeted drug therapy. Sorafenib (Nexavar) is targeted drugs designed to interfere with the tumor's ability to produce new blood vessels. Sorafenib has been shown to slow or stop the progression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in a few months longer than those without treatment. Further studies are needed to understand how this and other targeted therapies may be used for control of advanced cancer of the liver.

Symptoms Of Liver Cancer

Most people do not have signs and symptoms of early stages of primary liver cancer. When symptoms appear, they may include:

Losing weight without trying

Loss of appetite

Upper abdominal pain

Nausea and vomiting

General weakness and fatigue

Enlarged liver

Abdominal swelling

Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

White, chalky stool

When to seek medical advice

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have signs or symptoms that concern you.

Causes Of Liver Cancer

It is not clear what causes most cases of liver cancer. But in some cases, the cause is known. For example, a chronic infection with certain hepatitis viruses cause liver cancer.

Liver cancer occurs when cells develop liver changes (mutations) in their DNA - the material that provides instructions for all chemical processes in the body. DNA mutations cause changes in these instructions. A result is that cells may begin to grow out of control and eventually form a tumor - a mass of cancer cells.

Types of liver cancer

Primary liver cancer that originates in cells of the liver is divided into different types depending on the type of cells that become cancerous. Types include:

Hepatocellular carcinoma. This is the most common form of primary liver cancer. It begins in the hepatocytes, the main type of liver cells.

Cholangiocarcinoma. This type of cancer that starts in the bile ducts in the liver. This cancer is sometimes called the biliary tract cancer.

Hepatoblastoma. Liver cancer affects infants and young children.

Angiosarcoma and angiosarcoma. These cancers begin in the blood vessels of the liver and grow very quickly.

Liver Cancer Overview

Liver cancer is cancer that begins in the liver cells. Your liver is an organ of football size located in the upper right abdomen, beneath your diaphragm and stomach.

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancer worldwide, but liver cancer is rare in the United States. Rate of diagnosis of liver cancer is increasing in the United States.

Not all cancers affecting the liver are considered to be liver cancer. Cancer that begins in a different area of ​​the body, such as colon, lung or breast and spreads to the liver is called metastatic cancer, instead of liver cancer. And this type of cancer is named after the organ where it began - as metastatic colon cancer to describe cancer that begins in the colon and spreads to the liver.