Liver Cancer

Liver is a football size organ located just below the diaphragm on the right side above your abdomen. The main function of the liver is to clean the blood of all toxins and to segregate the nutrients in your diet and send them to the areas of your body where they are needed. Liver is one of the most important organ of your body and any damage to the liver results in poor quality of life and untimely death unless treated properly. Just like any other cancer, liver cancer is also the result of the mutation of the liver cells. This mutation means that the liver cells start multiplying at a much faster rate than normal and form a tumour.

Several types of cancer can form in the liver. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma, which begins in the main type of liver cell (hepatocyte). The cancer which originates in some other organ and spread to liver is not called liver cancer but is known by the name of that particular cancer and is called metastatic liver disease.

Causes of Liver Cancer

Most of the people think that Liver Cancer is caused by excessive alcohol intake only which is not correct. Many people who have never consumed alcohol also suffer from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Fatty foods, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C infection, lack of exercise, obesity and diabetes are some of the equally dangerous things for causing Liver Damage

Symptoms - Liver Cancer

 Sudden and unexplained weight loss

 Loss of Appetite

 Upper Abdominal Pain

 Vomitting and Nausea

 Body Weakness and Fatigue

 Yellow colour of the eyes and skin

 White stool

Diagnosis and Treatment

The diagnosis for Liver Cancer starts with basic blood tests like Liver Function Test, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, Ultrasound of the Abdomen, Triple Phase Liver CT Scan and finally Liver Biopsy. Once the presence of Liver Cancer is established then PET CT Scan of Whole Body or Bone Scan is done to find out the spread of Liver Cancer to other parts of the body or to find out whether it is primary liver cancer or metastatic. The line of treatment will depend on this.

Surgery - Liver Resection is done to remove the cancerous part of the liver and healthy liver is left inside the body. The healthy liver then grows into full liver over a period of time. If most of the liver is damaged then Liver Transplant Surgery is done in which a portion of healthy liver from a donor is taken and attached to the healthy portion of your liver. This donor liver then grows into a full liver over a period of time. Other Treatment options include targetted drug therapy or radiation therapy.

Best Doctors and Cost

Dr Singh is one of the best and extensively trained Liver Cancer Specialist at APG Hospital, Purnia bihar. The cost of treatment of liver cancer treatment depends upon the extent of spread of the disease. In case it is in single lobe then surgical resection is possible. However in case of spread to farther areas treatment may be confined to immunotherapy and targeted chemotherapy. Hence the exact cost for the liver cancer treatment cannot be ascretained as it depends upon case to case. If you have an individual health insurance policy then this surgery is covered after a period of 1 month from the date of inception of the policy. However if you are a beneficiary of company given policy then the surgery is covered from day one. Always go through the terms of your health insurance policy like room rent capping and co-payment to avoid any kind of financial shocks later on.