Liver Cancer

Liver Cancer

The liver can be affected by primary liver cancer, which arises in the liver, or by cancer which forms in other parts of the body and then spreads to the liver. Most liver cancer is secondary or metastatic, meaning it started elsewhere in the body. Primary liver cancer, which starts in the liver, accounts for about 2% of cancers in the U.S., but up to half of all cancers in some undeveloped countries. This is mainly due to the prevalence of hepatitis, caused by contagious viruses, that predisposes a person to liver cancer. In the U.S., primary liver cancer strikes twice as many men as women, at an average age of 67.

Because the liver is made up of several different types of cells, several types of tumors can form there. Some of these are benign (noncancerous), and some are cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). These tumors have different causes and are treated differently. The outlook for health or recovery depends on what type of tumor you have.

Thirty million Americans – one in every 10 – are or have been affected by a liver, biliary or gallbladder disease.

Liver disease and cirrhosis are the 7th leading cause of death among adults between the ages of 25 and 64 in the US.

Chronic hepatitis C and alcoholic liver disease are the leading causes of cirrhosis in the US.

Hepatitis C is the number one reason for liver transplantation in the US.

The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself.

The liver filters over a liter of blood each minute, removing toxins such as air pollutants, pesticides, cigarette smoke, environmental chemicals, alcohol, and prescription and non-prescription drugs.

Cirrhosis is the irreversible condition marked by the accumulation of scar tissue in the liver. Cirrhosis can be caused by alcohol consumption, hepatitis, right-sided heart failure and other conditions.

While alcoholic hepatitis is found mostly in alcoholics, it also occurs in people who are merely social drinkers.

The Types Of Liver Cancer

There are several types of liver cancer based on the type of cells that becomes cancerous.

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), also called hepatoma, HCC is the most common type of liver cancer accounting for approximately 75 percent of all liver cancers. HCC starts in the main type of liver cells, called hepatocellular cells. Most cases of HCC are the result of infection with hepatitis B or C, or cirrhosis of the liver caused by alcoholism.




• Fibrolamellar HCC is a rare type of HCC that is typically more responsive to treatment than other types of liver cancer. Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) occurs in the small, tube-like bile ducts within the liver that carry bile to the gallbladder. Cholangiocarcinomas account for 10-20 percent of all liver cancers. Intrahepatic bile duct cancer begins in ducts within the liver. Extrahepatic bile duct cancer develops in ducts outside of the liver.




• Angiosarcoma, also called hemangiocarcinoma, accounts for about 1 percent of all liver cancers. Angiosarcomas begin in the blood vessels of the liver and grow quickly. They are typically diagnosed at an advanced stage.




• Secondary liver cancer, also known as a liver metastasis, develops when primary cancer from another part of the body spreads to the liver. Most liver metastases originate from colon or colorectal cancer. More than half of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer develop secondary liver cancer.