Avoid liver cancer

• May 8, 2024

Caring for and protecting every organ of our body is vital to improve people's lives. Nobody enjoys getting sick and less when it comes to a lethal disease such as cancer. Liver cancer is one of the most frequent, but perhaps few know why it occurs and how to treat it. Here we tell you.

Liver cancer is characterized by the growth of malignant or abnormal cells in the tissue of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer and is the cause of about 90% of liver cancer tumors in adults.

This type of cancer attacks men more than women. Worldwide, it is the sixth most common cause of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the world.

Liver cancer in figures ...

Eighty percent of liver cancer cases are caused by a viral infection, Hepatitis B. Because it has no particular symptoms, it can be allowed to progress for years. However, there is a vaccine available that is recommended to supply adolescents and adults.

According to the Mexican Foundation for Hepatic Health, nearly 400 million people in the world are "chronic carriers" of the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), a pathogen belonging to the Hepadnavirus family, which, despite the fact that be preventable with vaccine, causes around one million deaths per year.

Risk factor's

According to FUNDHEPA, HBV is acquired through contact with contaminated blood or body fluids. The main transmission routes are: unprotected sex; transfusions - although in Mexico it is no longer a problem, since all blood packets are analyzed before being manipulated; from mother to child during childbirth or in a cesarean section; as well as injectable drugs, tattoos, piercings and acupuncture with non-sterile material.

One of the most affected groups is that of injecting drug users. Reports from the National Health Program, points out that about 90% are positive for the Hepatitis C virus; 84% of Hepatitis B and 6% are infected with the HIV virus.

Late detection

Knowing if a person has liver cancer is difficult, because there are usually no symptoms of cancer (or liver disease) until it is at an advanced stage. When symptoms appear, they may include one or more of the following signs:

1.- Weight loss, for no apparent reason.

2.- Progressive loss of appetite.

3.- Sensation of excessive satiety, after a very light meal.

4.- Feel something hard on the right side of the stomach; under the rib cage.

5.- Pain or discomfort between the stomach and the rib cage.

6.- Jaundice, yellowish color of the skin.

7.- Abdominal swelling, due to the accumulation of fluids in the abdomen.

8.- Unusual tiredness and nausea.

Treatment and life expectancy

Liver cancer is difficult to control, unless it has developed very slowly. Treatment depends on the stage (stage or extension) of the disease, the condition of the liver and the age and health of the patient.

The doctor may recommend surgery, chemotherapy (treatment with anticancer drugs), radiation therapy (treatment with high-energy rays), biological therapy (treatment with substances that help the body fight cancer) or a combination of these methods. treatment.

Video Medicine: Preventing Liver Cancer (May 2024).