Liver cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer! Here’s how

Liver cancer is on the rise and can affect up to 10 people per one lakh population. Liver cancer can start in the liver, called primary liver cancer, or it can spread from elsewhere in the body, called secondary cancer. Secondary liver cancer usually indicates that the cancer has progressed. Let’s learn more about the causes of liver cancer and ways to prevent it.

What is the role of a healthy liver?

The liver is the largest organ in the body and helps with important functions such as digestion, making and storing proteins and sugars. The liver filters blood from the intestines and thus prevents infections.

When the liver is damaged, these functions can be impaired, resulting in jaundice, weight loss, bleeding tendencies and infections. Long-term liver damage can lead to scarring of the liver, leading to cirrhosis. This is a a risk factor for liver cancer and liver failure.

What causes liver cancer in cirrhosis?

Long-term inflammation or damage to liver cells can cause genetic changes in these cells. The balance between tumor-causing genes and tumor-suppressing genes is reversed, increasing the risk of liver cancer.

Any long-term damage to the liver can cause scarring of the liver that progresses to cirrhosis. The most common causes of cirrhosis are alcohol, fatty liver and viral infections (hepatitis B and C). There are other less common causes of cirrhosis, such as genetic disorders, autoimmune diseases, and diseases of the bile ducts.

What are the symptoms of liver cancer?

Liver cancer may or may not present with any symptoms. Patients may experience pain in the upper abdomen along with jaundice and weight loss. Liver cancer is usually discovered during the follow-up of patients with cirrhosis of the liver, since cirrhosis is one of the most likely causes. We do this with regular liver ultrasound and blood tests.

Can liver cancer be prevented?

Most liver cancers are preventable. However, it is difficult to treat. Treatment also depends on the stage of liver cancer, but the treatment of primary and secondary is quite similar.

Here are ways to prevent liver cancer:

• Avoiding or limiting alcohol consumption.
• Maintenance a A balanced diet.
• Regular exercise together with diet thus prevents obesity and fatty liver.
• Avoiding risky behaviors such as drug abuse and unprotected sex that increase the risk of viral hepatitis.
• Routine testing for viruses such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• Vaccination against hepatitis B.
• Regular screenings for early diagnosis of risk factors for liver disease such as diabetes and high cholesterol.

How to detect liver cancer early?

Not all liver cancers can be prevented. Therefore, screening is recommended for those at increased risk of liver cancer. This includes patients with known liver disease and those with hepatitis B and C. Regular check-ups and follow-up are recommended, as well as two tests specifically aimed at detecting early liver cancer. This includes an ultrasound and a blood test called alpha-fetoprotein. Further tests such as CT scans, MRIs and liver biopsies may be needed to diagnose early liver cancer. There are several treatments available to treat early liver cancer, such as surgery, including liver transplantation