Liver Cancer- What it is and what are its Risk Factors?

Liver Cancer

Liver Cancer- What it is and What are its Risk Factors?

In this article you will learn about liver cancer and its risk factors.

Liver Cancer- What it is and What are its Risk Factors?

What is Liver Cancer?

Liver

The liver is the largest organ inside your abdomen. It's found behind your ribs on the right side of your body.

The liver does important work to keep you healthy:

It removes harmful substances from the blood.
It makes enzymes and bile that help digest food.
It also converts food into substances needed for life and growth.

The liver gets its supply of blood from two vessels. Most of its blood comes from the hepatic portal vein. The rest comes from the hepatic artery.

Cancer Cells

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body. Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When normal cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body doesn't need them, and old or damaged cells don't die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth, nodule, or tumor.

Growths in the liver can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign tumors are not as harmful as malignant tumors:

Benign tumors

Are rarely a threat to life
Can be removed and usually don't grow back
Don't invade the tissues around them
Don't spread to other parts of the body

Malignant growths

May be a threat to life
Sometimes can be removed but can grow back
Can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs (such as the stomach or intestine)
Can spread to other parts of the body

Most primary liver cancers begin in hepatocytes (liver cells). This type of cancer is called hepatocellular carcinoma or malignant hepatoma.

Liver cancer cells can spread by breaking away from the original tumor. They mainly spread by entering blood vessels, but liver cancer cells can also be found in lymph nodes. The cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors that may damage those tissues.

RISK FACTORS

Studies have found the following risk factors for liver cancer:

Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV): Liver cancer can develop after many years of infection with either of these viruses. Around the world, infection with HBV or HCV is the main cause of liver cancer. HBV and HCV can be passed from person to person through blood (such as by sharing needles) or sexual contact. An infant may catch these viruses from an infected mother. Although HBV and HCV infections are contagious diseases, liver cancer is not. You can't catch liver cancer from another person.
Heavy alcohol use: Having more than two drinks of alcohol each day for many years increases the risk of liver cancer and certain other cancers. The risk increases with the amount of alcohol that a person drinks.
Aflatoxin: Liver cancer can be caused by aflatoxin, a harmful substance made by certain types of mold. Aflatoxin can form on peanuts, corn, and other nuts and grains. In parts of Asia and Africa, levels of aflatoxin are high.
Iron storage disease: Liver cancer may develop among people with a disease that causes the body to store too much iron in the liver and other organs.
Cirrhosis: Cirrhosis is a serious disease that develops when liver cells are damaged and replaced with scar tissue. Many exposures cause cirrhosis, including HBV or HCV infection, heavy alcohol use, too much iron stored in the liver, certain drugs, and certain parasites.
Obesity and diabetes: Studies have shown that obesity and diabetes may be important risk factors for liver cancer.The more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that liver cancer will develop.