Patient education: Liver cancer (The Basics)

What is liver cancer? — 

This is when normal cells in the liver change into abnormal cells and grow out of control. The liver is a big organ in the upper right side of the belly (figure 1).

Most people who get liver cancer have long-term liver disease (also called "chronic liver disease"). Having this increases the chance of getting liver cancer. The most common and most serious form of long-term liver disease is a condition called "cirrhosis," which scars the liver.

What are the symptoms of liver cancer? — 

It does not usually cause any symptoms of its own. Some people might have a lump or mild pain in the upper belly, feel full early on when eating, or lose weight without trying.

Others might have symptoms caused by the liver disease they had before they got cancer. These symptoms can get worse or come back because of the cancer. They include:

●Swelling of the belly or legs

●The skin or white part of the eyes turning yellow

If you have these symptoms, tell your doctor or nurse.

Is there a test for liver cancer? — 

Yes. If your doctor suspects that you have liver cancer, they will do 1 or more of the following tests:

●Blood tests

●MRI scan, CT scan, ultrasound, or other imaging test – These create pictures of the inside of the body and can show abnormal growths.

●Biopsy – A doctor removes a small sample of tissue from the liver. Another doctor looks at the sample under a microscope to see if it has cancer.

What is liver cancer staging? — 

Cancer staging is a way in which doctors find out if a cancer has spread past the layer of tissue where it began and, if so, how far.

How is liver cancer treated? — 

It can be treated in different ways. Treatment depends on the stage of your cancer. It also depends on how healthy your liver is (how serious your liver disease was before you got cancer). The different treatments include:

●Surgery – Liver cancer can sometimes be treated with surgery to remove the part of the liver with the cancer.

●Liver transplant – This is surgery to replace a diseased liver with a healthy one from another person.

●Ablation therapy – This is a procedure that can kill cancer cells in the liver. It is not surgery. Doctors can do ablation therapy in different ways. They can kill the cancer cells using heat, microwaves, a laser, or radiation therapy.

●Blocking the cancer's blood supply – Doctors can do a procedure called "embolization" to block off the blood vessel that sends blood to the cancer. This keeps the cancer from growing by "starving" it of its blood supply. Sometimes, the embolization procedure is combined with chemotherapy (called "chemoembolization") or radiation (called "radioembolization").

●Immunotherapy – These are medicines that work with the body's infection-fighting system (the "immune system") to stop cancer growth.

●Targeted therapy – Some medicines work only for cancers that have certain characteristics. Your doctor might test your cancer to see if it would respond to these medicines.

●Chemotherapy – These are medicines that kill cancer cells or stop them from growing.

What happens after treatment? — 

You will be checked every so often to see if the cancer comes back. Regular follow-up tests usually include exams, blood tests, and imaging tests.

You should also watch for the symptoms listed above. Having those symptoms could mean that the cancer has come back. Tell your doctor or nurse if you have any symptoms.

If you had a liver transplant, you need to take "anti-rejection medicines" for the rest of your life. They help keep your body from reacting badly to your new liver.

What happens if the cancer comes back or spreads? — 

Your doctor will talk with you about possible treatment choices. These might include the treatments listed above.

What else should I do? — 

Follow all your doctor's instructions about visits and tests. It's also important to talk to your doctor about any side effects or problems you have during treatment. People who have liver cancer, especially if they have long-term liver disease, should avoid alcohol and any drugs that could harm the liver.

Getting treated for liver cancer involves making many choices, such as what treatment to have.

Always let your doctors and nurses know how you feel about a treatment. Any time you are offered a treatment, ask:

●What are the benefits of this treatment? Is it likely to help me live longer? Will it reduce or prevent symptoms?

●What are the downsides to this treatment?

●Are there other options besides this treatment?

●What happens if I do not have this treatment?

More on this topic

Patient education: Cirrhosis (The Basics)
Patient education: External beam radiation therapy (The Basics)
Patient education: Liver panel (The Basics)
Patient education: Liver biopsy (The Basics)
Patient education: Liver transplant (The Basics)
Patient education: Hair loss from cancer treatment (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing loss of appetite and weight loss with cancer (The Basics)
Patient education: Managing pain when you have cancer (The Basics)
Patient education: Nausea and vomiting with cancer treatment (The Basics)
Patient education: Aminotransferase tests (The Basics)
Patient education: Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker test (The Basics)

Patient education: Liver biopsy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Cirrhosis (Beyond the Basics)