Important Information To Know About Liver Cancer

Chronic Hepatitis B Or C Infection

A chronic hepatitis B or C infection always heightens the risk of an individual suffering from liver cancer. As mentioned earlier, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are infections that can develop from a contaminated needle, because of unprotected sex, or during childbirth. These liver infections will heavily damage the overall condition and function of an individual's liver, which will invariably put the patient at a greater risk of developing liver cancer. Keep in mind hepatitis B can't be wholly cured.

On the other hand, it's possible to get rid of a hepatitis C infection. In order to reduce the possibility of suffering from hepatitis B, it's important that all children and adults obtain the HBV vaccine, which will automatically lower their risk of hepatitis B and liver cancer. Currently, there's no vaccine available for hepatitis C. Early treatment of hepatitis C will oftentimes eliminate the virus altogether. As for hepatitis B, certain medications can reduce symptoms and lessen the likelihood of liver cancer.

Diagnosis

When symptoms arise, a proper diagnosis can be made and is accomplished in several different manners. Blood tests measure the levels of alfa-fetoprotein and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin, both of which, if elevated, is cause for concern. CT scans, ultrasounds, and MRIs allow doctors to see any abnormalities in the liver in addition to other body parts through medical imaging. These imaging tests are particularly important when determining whether liver cancer has spread to other parts of the body. A liver biopsy involves the examination of a small sample of the suspicious tissue, but comes with the risk of bleeding, infection, and spreading of potentially infected cells.