|
The Liver Cancer is a cancer that occurs to the level of the liver in a spontaneous manner, and develops himself directly to it depends of the hepatic cells (cells of the liver).
Liver Cancer Reasons and factors of risk
Liver Cancer is in increase since several years;                    is more frequent in some regions of the globe: Africa (tropical zones) and Asia of the Southeast;                  occurs toward 60 years in Europe and in North America and toward 35 years in Africa and in Asia;                  is observed mainly at the man;                 is bound the most often to the evolution of a pre-existing cirrhosis.          In France, the cancérisation of the cirrhoses due to the alcohol varies between 10 and 30%. In the tropical zones, the cancérisation is bound to a viral origin cirrhosis (virus of the B hepatitis). When the cancer of the liver develops itself on a liver not presenting lesions of cirrhosis, the role of the food factors has been advanced, and in particular the one of some toxins (aflatoxine polluting the flour of peanut in Africa).
Liver Cancer The signs of the illness
The patient can present some pains in look of the liver, a fever, a change of the general state (thinning, loss of the appetite, fatigue) or an ictère (yellow coloration of skin).
Liver Cancer The consultation
The attentive exam of the abdomen recovers a liver of volume increased (hépatomégalie), hard with an irregular surface, sometimes sensitive or painful.
Liver Cancer Exams and complementary analyses
The biologic exams recover non specific elements:Â anemia (reduction of the hemoglobin rate in blood), increase of the number of white globules in blood, modification of the blood rate of the enzymes manufactured by the liver (increase of the gamma GT, of the alkali phosphatases...).
The dosage of the alpha-foetoprotéine (AFP) is useful for the diagnosis of cancer primitive of the liver. This protein is then present since the 8th week of the embryonic life decreases at the adult. In the setting of the cancer primitive of the liver, the AFP increases of way meaningful 9 times on 10. However, the AFP is recovered increased in other illnesses (viral hepatitises, some digestive cancers, pregnant woman). However, it is interesting to keep that among a subject presenting a chronic biliousness, the increase of the AFP must have the intervening of a cancer questioned.
Other biologic parameters directly bound to the cancer are sometimes recovered:Â hypercalcemia (increase of the calcium in blood), hypoglycemia.
The radiological exams recover some elements in favor of the cancer diagnosis. The scan of the liver recovers one or several reminiscent masses.
Liver Cancer Evolution of the illness
The evolution of the cancers of the liver is often bad because the liver manufactures numerous indispensable substances for numerous functions of the organism.
The risk of death of the patient is bound in general to complications hémorragiques or infectious.
Liver Cancer Treatment
The treatment of the primitive tumors calls on the surgery if this one is feasible (general state of the patient, localization and volume of the tumor) under the shape of a partial ablation of the liver reaches. The surveillance of the AFP after the operation permits to detect to best a recidivism of the cancer. When the surgery is not feasible, the treatment calls on the chemotherapy by intra-venous way.
|
