Liver Tumors (including cancer and liver metastases in the liver)

Definition and causes

A tumor is a knot, ie. a finite liquefaction of tissues, which can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors can sometimes grow large, but they do not grow into the surrounding tissue. Malignant nodules (cancer) is growing rather invasive into the surrounding structures and may eventually spread to the lymph nodes and with the blood to other organs (metastasis).

Tumors in the liver is most often metastases from cancers of another body. Frequently, the spread of cancer from the lung, breast, stomach, small-bowel, colon, pancreas or uterus.

Liver cancer is cancer types that occur in the liver, as they exit from the cells of the bile aisle or the liver cells. Liver Cell Cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) are relatively frequent in the world (particularly Southeast Asia and Africa), because there is an increased risk of developing cancer after certain types of viral hepatitis, which is relatively common diseases. In Denmark, however, only approximately. 250 new cases a year, as almost all occur in patients with cirrhosis.

Benign tumors are not uncommon in the liver and is usually discovered by chance during investigations or operations of other diseases. They seen almost exclusively among middle-aged women, slightly more common in those who took the pill for many years.

Symptoms of tumors in the liver

By metastases:
When there are metastases in the liver, the original cancer advanced, and there will often be symptoms of the cancer sufferers body (see above cancers). By widespread cancer can experience a range ofgeneral cancer symptomsin the form of fatigue and paleness (due to anemia), weight loss, night sweats and periods of unexplained fever. Metastases can make the liver to become enlarged and can hurt (pain in the upper right side of the abdomen).

For liver cancer:
Pain or print from the liver, which grows. The liver is often sick in advance (known as cirrhosis and the development of cancer can easily give clear deterioration of the body's function with jaundice to follow. Liver Cell Cancer tumors may be hormone-producing and this may cause various symptoms of hormone-dependent type. Also by liver cancer can they said,general cancer symptomsoccur.

In benign tumors:
Often there are no symptoms. Possible episodes of pain opadtil the right side of the abdomen, presumably due to bleeding in the tumor.

Precautions and diagnosis

If, for some time experiencing unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite or other signs listed under general cancer symptoms, it is important to consult his doctor. In pain from the liver and development of jaundice should be immediate. A tumor in the liver can be seen with various imaging studies, for example. CT scan or ultrasound examination. To determine whether a tumor is benign or malignant, and whether the cancer is a metastasis from another body, we must make a tissue (biops

The protein alpha-føtoprotein can be measured in a blood sample, and is a non-specific marker for some cancers, including liver cancer. At positive values of this protein in the blood, you almost certainly cancer, and changes in the value gives an impression of kræftknudens development.

Treatment of tumors in the liver

Benign tumorsare mostly single and removed surgically, since it is believed that 1 in 10 develops into a malignant lump.

Metastasisis a sign of serious, advanced cancer. If only one or a few tight metastasis, may seek to operate them away. Otherwise, we often seek to curb the disease and reduce symptoms, by giving chemotherapy (see diagnosis and treatment of cancer).

Liver Cancer're almost never cured with the methods we have today. It is seen that the individual was healthy after surgery, where the tumor is cut away or after liver transplantation, but it is more the exception than the rule. There can be attempted with chemotherapy, but overall it must be said that there have not really found an effective treatment.

It has in recent years made interesting discoveries about certain so-calledcancer proteinrole in the development of liver cell cancer. These discoveries may lead to the development of a new company and hopefully treatment for liver cancer.

Selected

Both metastatic cancer and the cancer was removed from the liver has unfortunately generally poor prognosis. Premature death in some cases can be postponed with various chemotherapy or radiation treatments, but most often is spread cancer with liver metastasis and liver cancer in itself incurable and fatal.

This article is formed on the Health Guide on 14.08.06