Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Most types of liver cancer are accounted for by hepatocellular carcinoma. HCC, unlike metastatic liver cancer, originates in the liver cells. Metastatic liver cancer begins in another organ and eventually spreads to the liver.

Hepatocellular carcinoma generally affects people over the age 50; is more commonly diagnosed in men rather than women; and develops from different risk factors in different parts of the world. In the United States, however, one of the main contributing factors for HCC is cirrhosis of the liver – often caused by alcohol consumption. Hepatitis B and C are other common risk factors that lead to hepatocellular carcinoma.

HCC is rarely detected early, for several reasons (including tumor size, staging and grade), but knowing some of the signs and symptoms is your first step to a diagnosis. Jaundice, or the yellowing of the eyes and skin; abdominal swelling; abdominal tenderness or unprovoked pain; dramatic shifts in appetite, typically a reduced appetite; as well as the body’s tendency to bleed or bruise easily can all be symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The treatments for HCC are diverse, and each patient will customize a plan with his or her doctor to best assess their condition. Some treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma include:
  • Surgery to remove the cancerous cells and tissue affected by the disease
  • Traditional methods of chemotherapy and radiation therapy to shrink the tumor
  • If the disease has progressed, liver transplantation may be an option
  • Radiofrequency ablation where electrodes placed in the tumor are heated to cook and kill the cancerous cells
  • Embolization, where blood to the tumor is cut off, thus starving and killing it
  • Chemoembolization, where medications are pumped through the blood stream into the tumor
There are several other treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma that patients can explore with their surgeons, and these will depend on the tumor number and size; the progression of the cancer; as well as the patient’s overall health.
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