There are several different kinds of liver cancer. The most common types are hepatocelluar carinoma (HCC) and chaolangiocarcinoma (CCC).

It can take years or even decades for individuals with a chronic liver disease to develop liver cancer.

Liver cancer can spread rapidly and in some cases lead to death after a few years, or even months. According to CDC, the number of newly diagnosed liver cancer cases rose 38% between 2002 and 2012. There has been a 56% increase in deaths due to liver cancer since 2003 and these numbers are expected to grow.

Each year approximately 28,000 Americans are diagnosed with liver cancer. Men are more than twice as likely to die from liver cancer than women (CDC).

The following groups of people are at higher risk of developing liver cancer:

• Individuals with chronic liver diseases, such as cirrhosis
• Patients diagnosed with other types of cancer (for example, breast cancer or colon cancer)
• Individuals who consume foods containing mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin
• Diabetes patients
• Obese and overweight individuals
• Heavy alcohol consumers
• Individuals diagnosed with hemochromatosis

Liver cancer may be asymptomatic, until its later stage. The most common liver cancer symptoms are:

• Discolouration of skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Sickness
• Weariness
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Pressure pain in the right upper abdominal
• Weight loss for no reason

Liver cancer can be diagnosed through:

• Thorough physical examination: A doctor probes the liver and other stomach organs through the abdominal wall.
• Ultrasound diagnosis (sonography): A doctor examines the liver, bile ducts and gall bladder, kidneys, spleen, and even lymph nodes
• Blood test: The laboratory examination has two objectives: Check the liver function and identify disease symptoms.

Basically, different types of liver cancer treatment can be prescribed, which in some cases can be even combined:

• Operation (partial removal of the liver)
• Liver transplantation

Local therapies, such as:

• Liver transplantation
• Heat treatment: Radio frequency therapy (the tumor cells are destroyed through the heat)
• Tumor destruction through ethanol or acetic acid injections (only in those cases when neither operation nor radiofrequency therapy is possible)
• Vessel Occlusion: Transcatheter arterial chemoempolization (TACE)
• Irradiation of liver from inside: Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT)
• Palliative therapy (Maintaining of life quality, pain management)
• Targeted therapy using active ingredient Sorafenib

To reduce the likelihood of developing liver cancer, consider the following tips:

• Get vaccinated against hepatitis B
• Do not abuse alcohol and over-the-counter medicines
• Maintain a healthy diet
• Avoid a sedentary lifestyle
• Regularly get tested for hepatitis B and C infection if you are in a group of risk

Whether liver cancer is curable depends on its stage. Recovery is most likely when liver cancer is identified in its early stages.

In most cases, however, liver cancer is only detected in its later stages. At this point, the cancer cells have spread to surrounding organs, and there are few therapy options and the likelihood of recovery is low.

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