Liver cancer -Danger Factor

 Liver Cancer - Symptoms and Danger Factor:

Hepatocellular carcinoma or primary liver cancer or is a type of cancer that begins in the liver cells. The liver is the largest organ of the body - weighs at about 3 pounds or 1.36 kilogram. It is composed of several cell types such as bile ducts, fat-storing cells, and blood vessels. Liver Cancer is composed of 80 percent of liver cells (or hepatocytes). Hence, the greater part of hepatocellular carcinoma happens from liver.

When a cancer originated from other organs (breast, pancreas, lung, stomach or colon) and has spread to the liver, it is called secondary liver cancer or metastatic liver disease. Often, patients or physicians refer this as also liver cancer. So, the name liver cancer can either refer to primary or secondary liver cancer.

This type of cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It is a lethal cancer that will kill majority of diagnosed patients within a year. Nearly three quarters of liver cancer cases are in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. It is also extremely common in South Africa and Mozambique.

Like most types of cancer, the symptoms begin to appear as the disease progresses. Thus, it is usually diagnosed in an advanced stage.

Symptoms

There are several symptoms connected with this disease. These include feeling of abdominal fullness with no clear reason, bloating, weakness, unexplained fever, and fatigue (not relieve with rest). Another symptom is experiencing pain and/or discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen that may also extend into the shoulder blade area and back. One common symptom is anorexia, since the patient experiences vomiting, nausea, and loss of appetite. Jaundice may also occur to patients, which is a condition that causes the yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes.

These symptoms can be nonspecific. Meaning they do not exactly identify liver cancer. But, they do alert your physician that your liver may have to be evaluated.

Risk Factors

Both children and adults can be affected by liver cancer; however it occurs mostly in adults. A risk factor is anything that influences the possibility of you getting a disease. But this doesn't tell us everything. Having a risk factor, or a number of risk factors, doesn't indicate you will get the disease.

Here are some of the risk factors identified by experts.

Gender

This type of cancer is more common to males than females.

Ethnicity or Race

Pacific Islanders and Asians have the highest cases of hepatocellular carcinoma than other races.

Age

In developed countries such as United States and Europe, this mostly affects people over age 60. However, in developing countries such as Africa (and some in Asia), it is the reverse. Younger people - age between 20 and 50 - is diagnosed with this kind of cancer.

Chronic Viral Hepatitis

Chronic infection of hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B virus is the most common risk factor. In general, hepatitis C is usually the cause of liver cancer in the United States, while hepatitis B is the common cause in Asia and other developing countries.

Cirrhosis

It is a disease that causes scar tissue to develop in you liver. Most people who have this type of cancer already have several indication of cirrhosis.