Liver Tumors
Liver tumors can be of two types:
Primary tumors, which start in the liver itself
Secondary tumors, which begin in another organ and then spread to the liver.
Because the liver receives blood from many parts of the body, it is one of the most common places for cancer to spread. Therefore, secondary liver tumors are more common than primary liver cancers.
Primary Liver Tumors:
Primary liver tumors may be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Benign liver tumors include:
- Hemangioma
- Focal nodular hyperplasia
- Hepatic adenoma
- Biliary cystadenoma
- Infantile hemangioendothelioma
Malignant primary liver tumors include:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
- Cholangiocarcinoma
- Biliary cystadenocarcinoma
- Fibrolamellar carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer.
Risk Factors for HCC:
You are more likely to develop HCC if you have:
- Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hemochromatosis
- Membranous obstruction of the IVC
- Wilson disease
Diagnosis:
HCC is usually diagnosed through:
- A rise in Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels
- CT or MRI scans showing a liver lesion that enhances in the arterial phase and shows washout in the venous phase
Treatment:
Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer and may include:
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Injection of acetic acid into the tumor
- Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)
- Transarterial radioembolization
- Liver transplantation
- Oral targeted therapy such as sorafenib