Tumors of the liver

Liver tumors can be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Cancer tumors can occur in the liver and can spread to the liver (metastasize) from other parts of the body. Cancer that occurs in the liver is called primary liver cancer, cancer that arises elsewhere in the body is called metastatic cancer. The vast majority of cancers are metastatic liver tumors. 

Non-cancerous liver tumors are relatively common but usually cause no symptoms. Most of them can detect when people do for some other reason, a search-imaging such as ultrasound, computed tomogranja (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, some of these tumors leads to an increase in liver or bleeding into the abdominal cavity. Liver function is usually normal and blood tests show normal or only mildly elevated levels of liver enzymes.

Hepatocellular adenoma

Hepatocellular adenoma is a common non-cancerous tumor of the liver.

Hepatocellular adenomas occur mainly in women of childbearing age, probably because oral contraceptives increase the risk of this type of neoplasm. These tumors usually cause no symptoms, so most of them remain undetected.

There was rarely an adenoma suddenly bursts and bleeds into the abdominal cavity, which requires an urgent surgical procedure. Adenomas that cause oral contraceptives often disappear when a woman stops taking the drug.In extremely rare cases, an adenoma can become cancerous tumor.

Hemangioma

Hemangion a non-cancerous liver tumor composed of clusters of abnormal blood vessels.

It is estimated that 1% - 5% of adults have small liver hemangiomas that cause no symptoms. These tumors are usually discovered only if the person happens to be subjected to search UZ-mail or CT. Not require treatment. In young children a large hemangioma sometimes cause symptoms that are detected, such as widespread (diffuse) clotting and heart failure. May require surgery.

HEPATO

Hepatotoxicity (hepatocellular carcinoma) is cancer that begins in cells of the liver.

Hepatoma are the most common type of cancer that originates in the liver (primary liver cancer). In some areas of Africa and Southeast Asia hepatoma are even more common than metastatic liver cancer and highlight the cause of death. In these areas there is a high prevalence of chronic infection with hepatitis B, which increases the risk of hepatoma in more than 100 times.

Chronic infection with hepatitis C also increases the risk of hepatoma. Finally some substances that cause cancer (carcinogens) created hepatoma. In subtropical areas in which the hepatoma tissue, food is often contaminated with carcinogens called aflatoxins, substances produced by certain types of fungi.

In North America, Europe and other regions of the world, in which the hepatoma rare, most people with hepatoma were alcoholics with liver cirrhosis, long-term. Additional types of cirrhosis are also associated with hepatoma, although in conjunction with primary biliary cirrhosis risk is lower than with other types of cirrhosis.

Fibrolamelarni carcinoma is a rare type of hepatoma, which usually affects young adults. It is not caused by the preceding cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C or other known risk factors.

Symptoms

Usually the first symptoms of hepatoma abdominal pain, weight loss and large clusters that can be felt in the upper abdomen. Another possibility is that a person who has long had cirrhosis may unexpectedly become sick. It is a common fever. Sometimes the first symptoms of acute abdominal pain and shock caused by rupture or bleeding of the tumor.

Diagnosis

In people with hepatoma are typically elevated levels of alpha-fetoprotein levels. Sometimes blood tests show low levels of glucose or high levels of calcium, lipid, or an increased number of red blood cells.

Initially, the symptoms do not give the key to diagnosis. However, once the liver is increased enough to be felt, the doctor may suspect the diagnosis, especially if a person has long-term cirrhosis. Sometimes the doctor may hear loud sounds (hepatic noises) and the sounds of reefs (friction due to rubbing or crepitation) stethoscope placed over the liver.

Ultrasound and CT of the abdomen above can sometimes detect cancer that has not yet caused symptoms. In some countries where hepatitis B virus is common, such as Japan, ultrasound is used for the examinations for the purpose of sifting (screening, screening) infection in people with liver cancer. Hepatic arteriography (Elo made after the hepatic artery radiokonstrastne injectable substances) may indicate the hepatoma. Arteriography of the liver is especially useful prior to surgical removal of hepatoma, because it shows the surgeon the exact accommodation blood vessels of the liver.

A liver biopsy can confirm the diagnosis. The risk of bleeding or other injuries in liver biopsies are generally low.

Prognosis and treatment

Usually the prognosis for people with hepatoma weak, because the tumor is detected too late. Sometimes people with small tumors recovered after the tumor is surgically removed.

Second primary liver cancer

• cholangio cancer that arises from the lining of bile ducts in the liver or bile ducts. In the Orient, infestation of parasitic worms called the liver, may be partly responsible for this cancer. People with long-term ulcerative colitis and sclerosing cholangitis occasionally develop cholangio.

• hepatoblastoma is one of the more common cancers in young children. Sometimes it occurs in older children and can produce hormones called gonadotropins, which results in an early (premature) puberty. Hepatoblastoma is usually detected because of the general deterioration of health and large clusters (formation) in the upper right abdomen.

• angiosarcoma is a rare cancer that occurs in blood vessels of the liver. Angiosarcoma can arise from exposure to vinyl chloride in the workplace.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Holangiokarcinomi, hepatoblastoma and angiosarkomi can be diagnosed only by biopsy of the liver with a needle to take a sample of liver tissue for examination under a microscope.

Usually the treatment is of little value, and most people die within a few months since the discovery of the tumor.However, if cancer is detected very early, the tumor can be surgically removed with the hope of long-term survival.

METASTATIC LIVER CANCER

Metastatic liver cancer is cancer that has spread to the liver from elsewhere in the body.

Metastatic liver cancer most commonly occurs in the lung, breast, colon, pancreas and stomach. Can affect the liver and leukemia and other blood cell cancers such as lymphoma. Sometimes the discovery of metastatic liver tumors first indication that a person has cancer.

Symptoms

Often the first symptoms include weight loss and poor appetite. Typically, the liver is enlarged and hard, and may be sensitive to the touch. There may be an increased body temperature. Sometimes the enlarged spleen, especially if the cancer comes from the pancreas. Abdominal cavity can be expanded due to the presence of free fluid, a condition called ascites.

Initially there is mild jaundice or until the cancer is not clogged bile ducts. For weeks before his death, jaundice becomes stronger. A person can also become confused and sleepy with an accumulation of toxins in the brain, a condition called hepatic encephalopathy. ®

Diagnosis

In later stages of the disease, the doctor can usually diagnose metastatic liver cancer rather easily, but the diagnosis is difficult in the early stages. Cancer may indicate U.S., CT and MRI, but these imaging results can not always detect small tumors or to distinguish tumor from liver and other abnormalities.

Tumors often cause poor liver function that can detect a blood test.

Liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis in 75% of cases. A biopsy can be performed under control with a chance to get to the cancerous tissue was higher. Another way of taking a biopsy sample is laparoscopy (fiber optic viewing tube that is inserted into the abdominal wall).

Leukemia is usually diagnosed based on results of blood tests and bone marrow. Typically, liver biopsy is not needed.

Treatment

Depending on the type (type) of cancer, cancer drugs can temporarily reduce the tumor and prolong life, but they do not cure cancer. Drugs against cancer can be injected into the hepatic artery, which then dispatches a high concentration of drugs directly into cancer cells in the liver. This technique will likely reduce the tumor and produce fewer side effects, but has not been proven to prolong life. Radiation therapy of the liver can sometimes reduce the severe pain, but brings little improvement.

If the liver is found in only one tumor, the surgeon can remove it, especially if it stems from colon cancer. However, not all experts believe such an operation worth taking.

For most people with varicose cancer, all the doctor can do is relieve the symptoms,