What is Liver Tumor?

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a cancer that starts in the liver, hence also called as primary liver cancer. Cancer that arise in other organs and spread to liver are called as secondary liver cancer or metastatic tumor. HCC is commonly associated with any type of existing liver cirrhosis.

What are the Causes?

1. Existing Cirrhosis- This is a serious disease where liver cells are damaged thus affecting the liver function. Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, chronic alcoholism, certain drugs and too much iron in the liver (Hemochromatosis) are the common factors causing liver cirrhosis.
2. Hepatitis B infection- HCC may start even many years after getting the infection
3. Heavy Drinking- Drinking more than 60 to 80 Gms per day of alcohol increase the risk by 2-4 times
4. Obesity- Obesity can lead to non alcoholic fatty liver disease which can lead to HCC
5. Iron storage disease- too much iron in the liver also has damaging effect

Signs and Symptoms may be:

1. Weight loss (without trying)
2. Loss of appetite
3. Fever
4. An enlarged liver, felt as a mass under the ribs on the right side
5. Itching
6. Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
7. Feeling very full after a small meal
8. Nausea or vomiting

Diagnosis of liver cancer

1. Blood Tests
   (a) AFP Level (Alpha Feto Protein)- this is non-specific marker but high levels more than 500 micro grams per liter are diagnostic of liver cancer.
   (b) AFP- L3 and des Gamma carboxyprothrombin are more specific markers
2. Imaging Tests
   (a) Ultrasound- to detect liver lesion
   (b) CT scan/ MRI - Triple phase Study is very useful to see the characteristics of the liver lesion(weather benign type or cancer type) and also to detect presence of single or multiple very small lesions.
3. Liver Biopsy
   With the advent of better imaging techniques, Non-surgical percutaneous needle biopsy is commonly used to remove a sample of the cancer tissue from the liver and then send it to the lab for tissue diagnosis.