Liver Cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma, also called malignant hepatoma, is a primary form of liver cancer that originates in the hepatocyte cells of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the 5th most common type of cancer worldwide with nearly 500,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Approximately 19,000 cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States and affects males more than females by a ratio of about 3:1.

Major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma include cirrhosis of the liver, chronic infection with the Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C virus, exposure to aflatoxins that can contaminate certain crops, hereditary hemochromatosis, and primary biliary cirrhosis.

Unfortunately, the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma is difficult because most people with early-stage disease do not exhibit clinical symptoms of the disease. By the time symptoms do develop, the disease has already progressed to a more advanced stage. Signs and symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma may include abdominal pain, enlargement of the liver and spleen, unintentional weight loss, jaundice, and generalized weakness and fatigue.

The treatment options for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma depend upon a variety of factors including the stage of the disease, location of the tumor, and how well or poorly the liver is functioning. In general, the treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma can be grouped into those treatments that are intended to be curative and those that are intended to be palliative meaning that they do not cure the underlying disease but rather control the symptoms of the disease. The only known curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma are surgical resection and liver transplantation. Palliative treatment options include radiofrequency thermal ablation, percutaneous ethanol injection, cryosurgery, hepatic arterial embolization, and systemic chemotherapy.

Learn more by ordering your MediFocus Guidebook on Liver Cancer, the most comprehensive, up-to-date source of information available. You will get answers to your questions, including:

• What are the risk factors of Liver Cancer?
• What standard and alternative treatment options are available?
• Where are the leading doctors, hospitals and medical centers that specialize in Liver Cancer research and treatment?
• What are the results of the latest clinical trials?
• Where are the support groups and additional resources in my area?
• What are the promising new treatments on the horizon?

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