What is Liver Cancer?

What is Liver Cancer?


from Jules: although 25 new HCV oral drugs are in development with the first 2 protease inhibitors expected to become available in 2011 which will be used in triple therapy with peginterferon+ribavirin, many patients already have diagnosed or undiagnosed liver cancer or cirrhosis, and these conditions limit the utility of these new therapies. I expect that within 10 years in the USA we can expect to cure a very high rate of HCV-infections, BUT patients with liver cancer or those who develop liver cancer are at great risk for serious illness and death. Liver disease can be caused by other reasons besides HCV or HBV including alcoholic liver disease or fatty liver. Fatty liver can be caused by abnormal lipids which is present in HIV-infected. The best way to address liver cancer is prevention: get screened for HCV-infection, get screened for liver disease; see a liver specialist if you feel your doctor or care provider is not adequately concerned if you are at risk or if they are not adequately educated to give you the proper tests.

EACS: Fatty Liver in HIV & HCV - (11/17/09)

What is liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC)?

Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is a cancer arising from the liver. It is also known as primary liver cancer or hepatoma. The liver is made up of different cell types (for example, bile ducts, blood vessels, and fat-storing cells). However, liver cells (hepatocytes) make up 80% of the liver tissue. Thus, the majority of primary liver cancers (over 90 to 95%) arises from liver cells and is called hepatocellular cancer or carcinoma.

When patients or physicians speak of liver cancer, however, they are often referring to cancer that has spread to the liver, having originated in other organs (such as the colon, stomach, pancreas, breast, and lung). More specifically, this type of liver cancer is called metastatic liver disease (cancer) or secondary liver cancer. Thus, the term liver cancer actually can refer to either metastatic liver cancer or hepatocellular cancer. The subject of this article is hepatocellular carcinoma, which I will refer to as liver cancer.

What is the scope of the liver cancer problem?

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world. A deadly cancer, liver cancer will kill almost all patients who have it within a year. In 1990, the World Health Organization estimated that there were about 430,000 new cases of liver cancer worldwide, and a similar number of patients died as a result of this disease. About three quarters of the cases of liver cancer are found in Southeast Asia (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan). Liver cancer is also very common in sub-Saharan Africa (Mozambique and South Africa).

The frequency of liver cancer in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa is greater than 20 cases per 100,000 population. In contrast, the frequency of liver cancer in North America and Western Europe is much lower, less than five per 100,000 population. However, the frequency of liver cancer among native Alaskans is comparable to that seen in Southeast Asia. Moreover, recent data show that the frequency of liver cancer in the U.S. overall is rising. This increase is due primarily to chronic hepatitis C, an infection of the liver that causes liver cancer.

LINK:

http://www.medicinenet.com/liver_cancer/article.htm