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      Liver Cancer: What causes it?

      Cardiology Image 1 Verified By November 3, 2020

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      Liver Cancer: What causes it?

      Liver Cancer: What causes it?

      Liver health

      Liver Cancer refers to the abnormal growth of cells in the liver. There are two types of Liver Cancer:

      • Primary liver cancer is where the cancer starts in the liver. This can be further divided into Hepatocellular carcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma.
      • Secondary metastatic liver cancer is where the cancer spreads to the liver from another part of the body.

      Causes

      Overall 75% to 80% of liver cancer cases are related to HBV (50% to 55%) or HCV (25% to 30%) infections. Other causes include:

      • Chronic Alcohol abuse
      • Cigarette smoking
      • Aflatoxin – produced by Aspergillus spp
      • Chemicals – Nitrites, hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides, vinyl chloride
      • Thorotrast – Angiographic medium
      • Metabolic liver disease – Hereditary hemochromatosis, Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, Wilson disease
      • OCPs and anabolic steroids – have weak association
      • Obesity and diabetes – are closely associated with type of liver abnormality called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that may increase risk of liver cancer

      If a patient reports the above symptoms the doctor may suggest some tests to diagnose the disease. Physical examination, blood tests, a CT Scan, MRI, ultrasound or a biopsy many be required.

      When detected early, a patient can have different treatment options available, allowing the treatment to be carried out with higher chances of success.

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