Liver cancer is a life-threatening illness and one of the fastest-growing cancer types in the United States. There are two kinds of liver cancer: primary and secondary. Primary cancer starts in your liver. Secondary cancer spreads to your liver from another part of your body. This article is an overview of primary liver cancer.
No, it’s not common, but liver cancer cases are steadily increasing. Healthcare providers estimate about 1% of all men and women in the United States will be diagnosed with a form of liver cancer during their lifetime.
There are three kinds of primary liver cancer:
HCC and IHC affect more men than women and are most often diagnosed between the ages of 55 and 64. People whose race includes Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or American Indian/Alaskan Indian are more likely to develop primary liver cancer than people who are Black or white.
Your liver is the largest organ in your body, helping you digest your food. It’s also one of the most important organs, as no one can live without their liver. Some of the essential tasks your liver manages include:
Liver cancer happens when something affects healthy liver cells’ DNA. DNA carries the genes that tell our cells how to function. We all have genes that tell cells when to grow, multiply and die. For example, oncogenes help cells grow and divide. Other genes, called tumor suppressor genes, monitor cell activity, keeping cells from multiplying uncontrollably and making sure cells die when they’re supposed to die.
Liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is a type of cancer that originates in the liver.
Risk factors include chronic viral hepatitis (B and C), excessive alcohol consumption, cirrhosis, obesity, exposure to aflatoxins, and a family history of liver cancer.
Early symptoms can be subtle and include fatigue, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, and a feeling of fullness in the upper abdomen. As the disease progresses, jaundice and swollen abdomen may occur.
