2024-01-25 15:31:00
Verified on 01/25/2024 by Alexane Flament, Editor
Liver cancer is a condition that develops from liver tissue. This organ’s mission is to filter the blood, produce bile and store glucose. It is therefore vital!
There are different types of liver cancer, but hepatocellular carcinoma represents 90% of annual diagnoses. Here’s how to learn to recognize it and watch for certain signs.
Liver cancer, what exactly is it?
The most common liver cancer develops from the cells that make up the majority of tissues in this organ.
The role of hepatocytes, the cells in question, is essential to ensure the proper functioning of the body. They “provide almost all of the metabolic functions of the liver. They are notably responsible for the regulation of glucose in the body in response to insulin, as well as the treatment of toxins – notably alcohol. specifies the National Cancer Institute.
When there is cancer, the cells are replaced by cancerous counterparts that do not work. The liver is then no longer able to fulfill its role, which endangers the patient’s life.
Typically, cancers are discovered during follow-up exams. But, according to the National Cancer Institute, there are warning signs that should not be ignored.
Of course, these signals are not necessarily indicative of liver cancer, but can lead to a check.
- Unexplained pain that lasts over time;
- Problems of shortness of breath, a cough that does not go away…;
- Digestive or urinary problems such as more frequent bowel movements, bloating, heartburn, etc.;
- Unexplained bleeding;
- Unusual changes: weight loss, hoarse voice, night sweats….
The Institut Curie specifies that at an advanced stage, other signs may appear: “ accumulation of fluid causing swelling in the abdomen, increased pain, confusion, tremors, jaundice of the skin and eyes.”
But these symptoms are not typical of the disease either. Only an examination carried out by a specialist can make the diagnosis of cancer.
To diagnose liver cancer, doctors will use various techniques.
This may be a medical imaging examination, a blood test and a search for tumor markers, as the H. Hartmann Institute of Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery explains on its website.
A biopsy may also be necessary. It involves taking tumor cells and then analyzing them under a microscope. This technique makes it possible to identify the type of cancer involved, its stage, its aggressiveness, etc.
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