Liver Cancer

What is liver cancer?

Liver cancer is a serious disease that causes your liver cells to divide and multiply at a rapid rate of speed, damaging the surrounding healthy tissue. Most liver cancer occurs as a result of cancerous cells reaching your liver from other parts of the body, like the colon or lungs, but it can start in your liver as well.

There are several types of liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and hepatoblastoma

What are the symptoms of liver cancer?

Like most other cancers, liver cancer doesn’t always present symptoms early on. As the cancerous cells begin to divide and spread, telltale signs of liver cancer include:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Pain in your upper abdomen
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• White, chalk-like stools

If you have liver cancer, you might also experience yellow discoloration of your skin or in the whites of your eyes, a condition known as jaundice.

Who is at risk of developing liver cancer?

Liver cancer affects people of all ages and genders, but certain factors may increase your risk, including:

• A chronic infection like hepatitis B or hepatitis C
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Diabetes
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Excessive alcohol consumption

You might also develop liver cancer as a result of exposure to aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are molds that grow on poorly stored crops. They can end up in certain foods, increasing your risk of consumption.

What is the process for diagnosing liver cancer?

To diagnose liver cancer, your Vascular and Interventional Associates provider conducts a physical exam, reviews your medical history, and asks about your symptoms.

After gathering this information, your provider orders blood tests to pinpoint liver abnormalities and imaging tests to look for any abnormal growths.

If your provider detects a mass or lump, they might also recommend a surgical biopsy. This involves your provider inserting a long, thin needle into your abdomen and obtaining a small sample of liver tissue.

How is liver cancer treated?

Treatment of liver cancer depends on the severity of cancer, as well as your age and overall health. If you’re a good candidate, the team at Vascular and Interventional Associates recommends targeted, image-guided interventions, such as radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation, which directly destroy the tumor.

For some liver cancer patients, the team at Vascular and Interventional Associates may suggest chemoembolization or radioembolization.

Chemoembolization

During chemoembolization, your provider delivers chemotherapeutic agents into the vessels that supply blood to the tumor. 

Radioembolization

During radioembolization, the team injects radioactive particles into the vessels that supply blood to the tumor. 

Both of these interventional oncology treatments block the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tumor to slow its growth without affecting the healthy tissue around it. 

To learn more about your treatment options for liver cancer, make an appointment at Vascular and Interventional Associates by calling the office or booking online today.