Understanding Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is a cancer that originated from the organ of the heart or liver. There are two classifications of liver cancer based on the location of growth or its spread (metastases), namely primary and secondary liver cancer. Primary liver cancer is a cancer that begins in the liver and organs including a potentially fatal type of cancer. Secondary liver cancer originated from other parts of the body and then spread and grow in the organ of the heart.One of the most common liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)/hepatoma which is the primary liver cancer which developed from primary liver cells called hepatocytes. HCC occur approximately 75% of the overall primary liver cancer. This cancer can be a complication of the disease hepatitis (inflammation of the liver organ) and the condition of cirrhosis (normal liver tissue is replaced by scarring).
Secondary liver cancer is generally named according to the location of origin of the organ the cancer cells early developing colon cancer metastasis, such as, which starts in the colon then spread to the liver. Secondary liver cancer is more common than primary liver cancer. In addition to the spread of cancer in the colon, as well as many secondary liver cancer comes from the spread of breast cancer, lung, ovarian, stomach, pancreas, and skin (melanoma).
Many Occur in developing countries in the world liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer among men and the ninth among women. This cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide, after lung cancer.
About 83 percent of liver cancer cases in the world occurred in countries that are still developing. The cause of the high liver cancer cases in countries that are still developing is the high hepatitis B and C cases in those countries, including Indonesia. Whereas in countries which are already advanced as countries in Europe, the major cause of liver cancer is a high alcohol intake and obesity are increasing.In Indonesia, it is estimated there are around 18,000 new liver cancer cases each year, based on data in the year 2012. This figure is expected to rise along with the increasing number of sufferers of hepatitis B and C which currently reaches 30 million inhabitants.
An Important Function Of Liver Organ
With hundreds of functions that are executed, the liver becomes one of the most complex organ in the human body. Liver cancer is categorized as a serious disease due to terhambatnya the functions of the liver, even completely stop it. The following are some of the most important functions of the liver:- Eliminate toxins from the body
- Digest proteins and fats
- Producing liquid destroyer of fats (bile) that helps the digestion
- Help control blood clotting
Recognize The Symptoms Of Liver Cancer
The symptoms of this disease are usually shaped or less specific such as fatigue and nausea. Many people have recently felt the symptoms clearly after the cancer reaches an advanced stage. Liver cancer symptoms include:- Fatigue
- Weight loss without a cause
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Jaundice (the skin and the white part of the eye that is yellowing due to increased levels of bilirubin in the human body)
Causes Of Liver Cancer
The exact cause of liver cancer is still unknown, but the disease is estimated to be associated with tissue damage liver cells, such as liver disease cirrhosis. Disease of cirrhosis can be caused by viral infections hepatitis B or hepatitis C.Hepatitis B or C sufferers experience inflammation of the liver that are risky and precipitate the scarring in the liver organ. This condition can develop into liver cancer.
Some habits or unhealthy lifestyle can be a risk factor for liver cancer. One of them is alcohol abuse. Consuming strong drink more than the recommended amount can cause permanent liver damage and increase the risk of liver cancer. In addition, obesity is believed can also increase the risk of liver cancer because it is closely related to the non alcoholic liver perlemakan disease (Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease NAFLD =).
Diagnosis Of Liver Cancer As Early As Possible
If the general practitioner suspected or diagnosed You have been exposed to liver cancer, you will be referred to a specialist hospital for further examination. The sooner the disease undiagnosed, the more effective the treatment given.In fact, only 1 in 5 people who can survive, at least a year after was diagnosed with liver cancer. And only 1 out of 20 people with can survive at least five years. This is because as many as 9 out of 10 new sufferers are diagnosed when the cancer is already in an advanced stage. In most people with cancer have grown too severe to be healed.
Then in order for liver cancer may be undiagnosed more early, people who contracted the disease at high risk are advised to self checked routinely and regularly. High-risk group of people that it is those who are positive are infected with hepatitis B and C as well as ever suffered from cirrhosis. The benefits of regular inspections is to diagnose liver cancer at an early stage, i.e. when the total recovery treatment for more possibilities.
Treatment Of Liver Cancer
Stage of cancer determines the type of handling what will be given in sufferers. If undiagnosed cancer already at an advanced stage, treatment conditions are only intended to alleviate the pain and discomfort of the patient for the rest of his life. But another case if cancer could be undiagnosed before growing more severe, then the condition allows to be handled.There are at least three ways in treating liver cancer. The first is the radio frequency ablation, i.e. the use of a special electric device used to destroy cancer cells that are on the organ of the heart. The second is surgery resection, i.e. the process of adoption of certain parts of the liver of the infected organ. The third is a liver transplant, that replace the organ with organ sufferers heart hearts from donors.
Preventing liver cancer with healthy living
The risk of liver cancer can be reduced by avoiding the risk of being infected with hepatitis B and C get vaccinations and sexual intercourse safely. No less important, apply a healthy lifestyle such as regulating diet and regular exercise in order for the body to avoid obesity.In addition, avoid excessive consumption of liquor and cigarettes. If you want a piercing or menato body, be sure to do it in a place that has a kesterilan level is assured.
Symptoms Of Liver Cancer
Generally people with early stage liver cancer does not feel the symptoms that mean. New symptoms will be seen clearly at an advanced stage. However the following symptoms can be controlled as a symptom of liver cancer:- Feeling very tired and limp
- Abdominal pain
- Itching
- Liver organ swell
- Feel nausea and vomiting
- Ascites or fluid buildup in the abdomen. Belly look bloated.
- Limbs swelled due to a buildup of fluid.
- Decrease weight without cause
- The skin and the white part of the eye that is yellowing
- Dark colored urine
- The stool is white like chalk
The above symptoms are indeed common and not always be a marker of liver cancer, but still it is better to do the examination. Try to consult a doctor if you experience one or more of the symptoms above including people who once suffered from cirrhosis or hepatitis-infected.
Causes Of Liver Cancer
The causes and how the occurrence of changes in cells in the liver cancer is still not certain. Nevertheless, the risk of liver cancer seemed to rise along with damage to organs such as the liver, a disease of cirrhosis. However, not all cases of cirrhosis will culminate in liver cancer.Relation of cirrhosis with liver cancer
Liver cancer is closely related to cirrhosis, where occurs the formation of scar tissue in the liver organ. On the State of cirrhosis, normal liver tissue is replaced by scarring so the liver becomes hardened. Due to cirrhosis, liver function began to decline. Keep in mind that not all sufferers will experience cirrhosis of liver cancer.In a still-developing countries such as Indonesia, cirrhosis is commonly caused by viral infections hepatitis B and c. Besides cirrhosis can also be caused by diseases of the liver perlemakan non alcoholic, excessive alcohol consumption, and autoimmune diseases.
Hepatitis B virus infection
Hepatitis B is a virus that is spread through contaminated blood. In addition, this virus also spreads through body fluids such as saliva, semen, and vaginal fluids. Most people with hepatitis B are suffering symptoms similar to those of her liver cancer sufferers and are at risk of experiencing a wound scar that extends on the organ of the heart. Injured liver tissue that SCAR is formed when a normal and soft tissue through the process of the wound.Ethnic factors thought to affect people with potential risk of hepatitis B infection develop into liver cancer. Asians infected with hepatitis B have a higher risk of above average-affected liver cancer, regardless of whether they are also suffering from cirrhosis of the liver or not. Unlike hepatitis B sufferers with other neighbors, their risk for developing cancer of the heart only rise if they also suffer from cirrhosis or liver disease such as hepatitis c. Combination smoke and suffered from hepatitis B making risk liver cancer became higher.
Hepatitis C infection
In the long run, people with hepatitis C may experience inflammation and damage to the liver. If you are a person with hepatitis C, keep yourself from smoking. People with hepatitis C who smoke are more at risk of developing cancer of the liver at a later date.Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest rate of hepatitis C in Southeast Asia. One method the spread of hepatitis C in Indonesia is the use of contaminated syringes.
Non alcoholic fatty liver disease
The exact cause of non alcoholic liver perlemakan disease (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) still has not been explained with certainty. But the disease is often associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.Perlemakan non-alcoholic liver is a common condition and do not cause symptoms that are apparent in most of its victims. Fat that accumulates in the tissues of the liver causing the onset of this disease.
But in some people, the buildup of fat in high levels can cause inflammation of the liver. Gradually this inflammation will cause scarring of the liver.
Bad liquor
Another of his other organs, the liver is an organ with a strong resistance. This is because the cells of the liver is able to regenerate after injury.Every time you are consuming the liquor, a powerful organ and this software will filter out harmful substances in alcohol from your blood. This filtering make some liver cells will die.
Indeed able to regenerate liver cells to make new cells. But no matter how powerful this organ, excessive consumption of liquor and in the long term could damage the liver permanently. If you continuously consumes excessive liquor for years, you will lose the ability to regenerate.
Other risk factors from
Liver cancer is also triggered by several other factors as well:
- Autoimmune hepatitis
A genetic condition which is rare this occurs when the immune system or the natural resilience of the body that normally fight infection thus attacking the cells of a healthy liver. People with autoimmune hepatitis risk against liver cancer sufferers are much smaller than cirrhosis or other liver disorders.
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
Primary biliary cirrhosis basic cause is still not known with any certainty. This disease attacks the bile duct, i.e. a pipeline that serves to drain the bile into the digestive system. Damage to the bile duct cause bile buildup later in the heart. This buildup of damaging those organs and lead to cirrhosis. About 5% of people with advanced stages of biliary cirrhosis is expected to suffer from liver cancer in the future.
- Hemokromatosis
About ten percent of people with cirrhosis due to hemokromatosis suffering from liver cancer. Hemokromatosis is a genetic condition when body storing too much iron is absorbed from food. Iron eventually reached the levels builds up poison and damage the liver organ.
Diagnosis Of Liver Cancer
People who are more at risk of severe liver cancer need to undergo the examination at regular intervals. Tell them the symptoms you are feeling and when you start to feel it on the doctors. If it is reasonably requires further examination, the doctor will refer you to a specialist.A number of supporting examination may be necessary, one being to ascertain whether the right there are cancer cells in the liver organ as well as whether the cancer cells came from the other organs of the body (secondary liver cancer) or primary liver cancer. In addition inspection is carried out to find out how big lumps of cancer in the liver and how large the area its spread. It is necessary to know how many patients were in the stadium. Thus the doctor will get an overview about the condition and function of the organ of the heart, its influence on the health of the patient, as well as to decide the proper handling.
Generally, you will undergo the following examinations:
Monitoring for the detection of liver cancer intensively
If you belong to a high-risk group of people that suffered from cancer of the liver such cirrhosis sufferers, it is recommended to perform periodical checks every six months.The examination usually through two stages, namely, blood tests and ultrasound (ultrasound). The blood test used to detect the presence or absence of a protein in the blood called Alpha fitoprotein (AFP). More than half of primary liver cancer patients produce this protein in their blood. In addition, ultrasonography or ultrasound is performed to find out which organ abnormalities in the liver.
Supporting Further Examination
In addition to the ultrasound and detection of AFP through a blood test, the doctor can use a variety of other supporting examination for the diagnosis of liver cancer, namely:- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). Display your liver organ retrieval using magnetic fields and radio waves.
- CT scan. Your inner organs will be photographed by x-rays.
- Biopsy. Your liver tissue sample to be taken with a needle. This example will then be tested in the laboratory to detect cancerous cells.
- Laparoscopy. Run by making a small scratch on the belly so that a flexible camera called an endoscope can be inserted to check your heart. The test run with the total for anesthesia.
However, you may not need to use all kinds of tests to make sure the diagnosis.
Developmental stages of liver cancer
The ranking system Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) divide the five developmental stages of liver cancer as follows:Stadium o: patient still in healthy condition and his heart is functioning properly, but the tumor is less than 2 cm in diameter.
Stage a: patients in a healthy condition and his heart is functioning normally. But it has grown a tumor diameter is less than 5 cm, or three or more tumor with a diameter less than 3 cm.
Stadium B: there are several tumors in the liver, but not affect the function of the heart.
Stage c: the cancer has started to spread into the blood vessels, into the surrounding lymph node or other parts of the body. The people with not-so-healthy heart function and does not work so well.
Stage d: symptoms start showing people with end-stage liver disease, such as a buildup of fluid in the abdomen. Hearts have lost most of the capabilities of its current status.
Treatment Of Liver Cancer
People with liver cancer will be handled with the kind of treatment that is in accordance with the respective stage of cancer. There are three main ways that can be done to deal with the cancer of the liver:- Resection (operating): taking part of an organ of the liver affected by cancer.
- A liver transplant operation to replace the organ with a new heart.
- Radiofrequency ablation/of (adoption with radio frequency): uses heat to kill cancerous cells.
Patients can be recovered if the moment was diagnosed with cancer, a cancer he suffered was at stadium a. However the total healing cannot be done if the cancer is detected at stage B or c. Whereas at the stadium only care D, will focus on relieve the pain and discomfort.
The appointment of liver cancer through surgery (surgery)
Surgical resection is performed by lifting the cancerous cells through surgery. In general it takes 3-4 months to recover Your organs after operations. But you've been allowed to leave the hospital within 6-12 days after surgery.However, like all medical procedures, surgical resection is also has risks. In most patients, liver resection surgery complications such as infection, bleeding, and venous thrombosis. Estimated from 30 people who undergo liver resection surgery, there were 7 people who died after or while operating. This is because the liver resection can sometimes cause deadly complications such as heart attacks.
The donor liver transplantation
Transplants can be done using organs from people who have died as well as donors who are still alive. Each way has advantages and disadvantages.Transplantation of the person who died will face conditions as follows:
- It can take quite a long time to wait for a suitable donor.
- The results were better than any of the charities that are still alive.
While transplants from living donors will be faced on the following conditions:
- No need to wait for too long.
- The rate of complications of the procedure.
- The results tend to be not as good as if you use the heart of someone who has died.
In addition, a liver transplant is done just right for certain cases. This procedure is usually appropriate if the tumor diameter is less than 5 cm. And will not be useful if you have multiple tumors or a tumor more than 5 cm in diameter. A liver transplant may be recommended for people with three or more tumors with a diameter less than 3 cm. This procedure is also recommended in people with tumors that are not very responsive to treatment to show no signs of tumor development until six months later.
Killing cancer cells with Radio frequency
Of or Radiofrequency Ablation kills cancer cells and tumor size menyusutkan with the warming process using a flow of electricity.Ablation/appointment with radio frequency can be recommended as alternative measures other than operations to handle cases with one or more tumors of less than 5 cm in diameter.
After undergoing the procedure, you may feel uncomfortable and experience symptoms resembling the flu, like chills or muscle pain for a few days. Although rare, possible complications are bleeding, infection, minor burns, or damage around the organs.
Chemotherapy Treatment
The type of chemotherapy is recommended for dealing with liver cancer stages B and C are called kemoembolisasi (transcatheter arterial chemoembolization TACE/). This treatment does not cure, but rather just relieve pain and extend life expectancy. But this procedure is not recommended to treat liver cancer Stage D because it can aggravate the condition.Kemoembolisasi can be executed when the person with are waiting for organs to transplant hearts. This procedure helps prevent the spread of cancer to the liver around the time the sufferer awaits liver graft. Kemoembolisasi traveled with a combination of two techniques:
Help slow tumor growth by injecting gel or small plastic granules into the blood vessels that are draining the tumor
Chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into your heart. This process prevent patients from side effects that are often associated with the ' traditional ' chemotherapy such as hair loss and fatigue.
About a month after undergoing kemoembolisasi, the response of the body against him will be evaluated with CT scans.
About 30% of patients undergoing kemoembolisasi experienced a side effect known as post-kemoembolisasi syndrome with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, fever, and loss of appetite. These side effects may disappear 1-2 weeks thereafter.
In addition, there are also some more kemoembolisasi complications are rare:
- Inflammation of the liver.
- Worsening of liver function. Usually is temporary.
- Swelling of the abdomen due to fluid buildup.
- Damage to the ducts or gallbladder.
Alcohol injection selections
A shot of alcohol aimed at making cancer cells is dehydrated and stop the flow of blood to tumors. These treatments can only be done if you just have a few small tumors.Sorafenib
Sorafenib is a tablet used to treat liver cancer in certain cases. Not all cases of liver cancer can be treated with sorafenib. In the case of advanced stages of liver cancer, the use of sorafenib may not be advisable because the benefits are limited. The medical team will check if the drug is likely to bring benefits or harm, and right or not if it is used to you.Freezing The Cancer Cells (Cryoablation)
The process of cell destruction can also be done by using a tube containing liquid nitrogen that will freeze the cancerous tissue first before destroyed. This procedure is done with the help of images generated by the ultrasound as a guide when the monitor and destroy cancer cells. Tools used for this procedure is the cryoprobe.Prevention Of Liver Cancer
The growth of liver cancer can be prevented. The main key is to a healthy lifestyle and the discipline in maintaining health. Preventive measures of liver cancer include:- Avoid yourself from factors of liver cancer risk factors such as hepatitis C and hepatitis B.
- Healthy eating patterns.
- Avoid yourself from obesity with regular exercise.
- Limit the consumption of liquor.
- Do health checks on a regular basis especially early detection or screening of liver cancer. Especially in people with hepatitis B or C, cirrhosis of the liver, primary biliary cirrhosis, and people who have a history of cancer of the liver or other liver disease in the family.
Hepatitis B vaccine
You can avoid the risk of hepatitis B vaccine. In Indonesia, the hepatitis B vaccine has become a part of compulsory immunisation is taken when the baby is born and at the age of two, four, and six months. Nevertheless, adults at any age should receive this vaccine.Hepatitis B vaccine is also recommended for high-risk groups of people as follows:
- People with chronic kidney failure and chronic liver disease.
- People who frequently change sexual partners.
- Medical officials and patients users of injection drugs.
- Immediate family of the person with chronic hepatitis B.
- People who received blood donation at regular intervals
- Inmates and correctional officers.
Reduce the risk of transmission of hepatitis C
Hepatitis C virus is usually contracted through the blood of an infected person to another. This causes hepatitis C generally occur among narcotics users, especially those who share drug usage tools like needle in vain. Here are a few things you can do to minimize the risk of:- Avoid using personal items together. Avoid the exchange of blood-contaminated objects others like earrings, Shaver or toothbrush.
- Contraceptives are advised to use condoms during sex, since hepatitis C can also be transmitted through body fluids such as semen.
It would be better if you would berwaspada by assuming that anyone might have been infected with hepatitis c. hepatitis C sufferers own Many did not realize that he contracted the disease, so they don't keep yourself. This can be caused because of hepatitis C can appear without the accompaniment symptom means in years.
