Colour Caterpillar 
- Where is the liver and what is its function?
liver is a large organ located on the right side of the abdomen and is protected by the chest box. The liver has many functions. Plays a role in converting food into energy. It also filters and stores the blood.What is liver cancer?
Liver cancer is a disease in which liver cells become abnormal, grow out of control and form a cancerous tumor. This type of cancer is called primary liver cancer. Primary liver cancer is also called hepatocellular carcinoma or malignant hepatoma. Very young children may develop another form of liver cancer called hepatoblastoma. - cancer that spreads to the liver from another part of the body (metastatic cancer) is not the same as primary liver cancer. This fact sheet deals with primary liver cancer in adults. For information on el hepatoblastoma o sobre cáncer que se ha diseminado al hígado desde otro sitio, contacte el Servicio de Información sobre el Cáncer (CIS) del Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI), al teléfono que se indica más adelante.
¿Cuáles son los factores de riesgo de cáncer de hígado? - El desarrollo de cáncer de hígado se cree que está relacionado con la infección del virus de la hepatitis B (VHB) y el virus de la hepatitis C (VHC). Los científicos piensan que del 10 al 20 por ciento de las personas infectadas con VHB desarrollarán cáncer de hígado. Se encuentra evidencia de infección con el virus de la hepatitis B in nearly a quarter of Americans with liver cancer. The exact relationship between HCV and liver cancer being studied.
Researchers have found that people with some other liver diseases have a higher probability than average of developing primary liver cancer. For example, from 5 to 10 percent of people with liver cirrhosis (a progressive disorder that leads to scarring of the liver) eventually develop liver cancer. New research suggests that lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption and malnutrition, cause both cirrhosis and cancer liver.
Aflatoxins, a group of chemicals produced by a fungus that can contaminate certain foods like peanuts, corn, grain and seeds, are carcinogenic (cancer causing agents) of liver cancer.What are the symptoms of liver cancer? -
primary liver cancer is difficult to detect at an early stage because its early symptoms are usually vague. As with other cancers, this disease can cause a general feeling of poor health. Liver cancer can lead to loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, fatigue and weakness.
As the cancer grows, pain may be present in the upper abdomen on the right side and may extend to the back and shoulder. Some people may feel a mass in the upper abdomen. Liver cancer can also lead to inflammation of the abdomen and a feeling of fullness or bloating. Some people have episodes of fever and nausea or develop jaundice, a condition in which the skin and whites of the eyes become yellow and the urine becomes dark.is important to note that these symptoms may be caused by primary or metastatic cancer in the liver, a tumor benign (not cancerous) in the liver or other less serious conditions. Only a doctor can tell for sure.How is the diagnosis of liver cancer? -
To diagnose liver cancer, the doctor says the medical history, do a physical exam and orders some careful analysis.
Blood tests are used to see how well the liver. Can also be used to verify the existence of tumor markers, which are substances that are frequently found in abnormal amounts in patients with liver cancer. The tumor marker alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) may be useful to help in the diagnosis of liver cancer. About 50 to 70 percent of people with primary liver cancer have elevated levels of AFP. However, other cancers such as germ cell cancer and in some cases, cancer of the stomach and pancreas also cause elevated AFP. -
radiographs of the chest and abdomen, the angiograms (x-rays of blood vessels), the CT scans (films set in order by computer) and MRI images (images created by using a magnetic field) may all be part process diagnosis.
-
The liver scans using radioactive materials can help identify abnormal areas in the liver.
-
The presence of liver cancer is confirmed with a biopsy. Is removed (through a needle or during surgery) from liver tissue (biopsy sample) and examined under a microscope to see if cancer cells are present. The doctor may also look at the liver with an instrument called a laparoscope, which is a small instrument into a tube with a light on one end. For this procedure, an incision in the abdomen to insert the laparoscope. The doctor may remove a small piece of tissue during laparoscopy. A pathologist then examines the tissue under a microscope to see if cancer cells are present.
-
What is the treatment for liver cancer?
Liver cancer is difficult to control unless the cancer is found when very small. However, treatment can relieve symptoms and improve quality of life the patient. Treatment depends on the stage (extent) of the disease, the liver condition and the age and general health of the patient. Your doctor may recommend surgery, chemotherapy (treatment with anticancer drugs), radiotherapy (treatment with high-energy rays), biological therapy (treatment that uses substances that help the body fight the cancer) or a combination thereof treatment. -
Is there treatment studies (clinical trials) available for patients with liver cancer?
treatment studies (clinical trials) are research studies designed to find more effective treatments and better ways to use current treatments. Participation in treatment studies is an option for many patients with liver cancer. In some studies, all patients receive the new treatment. In others, doctors compare different therapies by giving the new treatment to a patient group and standard therapy to another group. In this way, doctors can compare different therapies. -
- In studies of treatment for liver cancer, doctors are studying new anticancer drugs and drug combinations. They are also studying new ways of giving chemotherapy, such as placing the drugs directly into the liver. Other research approaches include cryotherapy (surgery that uses extreme cold to destroy cancer cells) and various combinations of standard treatments.
# # # - National Cancer Institute of the United States.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment