LIVER CANCER (con't)
Overview of Liver Cancer
Types of Adult Liver Cancer:
Liver cancer is primarily adenocarcinoma, with 2 major cell types: hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma.
- hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cell carcinoma)
- hepatocellular carcinoma (fibrolamellar)
- cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer)
- mixed hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma
- undifferentiated liver cancer
- angiosarcoma
- sarcoma
- emangioendotheliomas
- hemangiosarcoma
Stages of Adult Liver Cancer:
For treatment purposes, adult liver cancer is grouped into four stages:
- Localized resectable - Cancer is in only one lobe of the liver and can be completely removed through surgery.
- Localized unrectable - The cancer is in only one lobe of the liver but cannot be completely removed through surgery.
- Advanced - The cancer has spread throughout both lobes of the liver or to other parts of the body.
- Recurrent - Liver cancer that has come back after it has been treated. It may recur in the liver or elsewhere in the body.
Types of Childhood Liver Cancer (Hepatoma)
- hepatoblastoma
- hepatocellular cancer
Stages of Childhood Liver Cancer:
Stage I
The cancer can be completely removed through surgery.
Stage II
Most of the cancer can be removed through surgery, but small, or microscopic areas will remain.
Stage III
Some of the cancer can be surgically removed, but there be remaining cancer in the abdomen or lymph nodes.
Stage IV
The cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Recurrent
Liver cancer that has come back after treatment. It may recur in the liver or elsewhere in the body.
Other Factors:
- People with the viral conditions known as hepatitis B or C or cirrhosis
of the liver are more likely than others to acquire adult primary
liver cancer.
- Certain blood tests, such as alpha-fetoprotein, or AFP may aid in the
diagnosis of primary liver cancer.
- Your liver cancer may be a single localized mass or contain multiple
cancerous lesions. It may be encapsulated or contain vascular invasion,
and may involve one lobe or both.
- The most common metastases of primary liver cancer occur in the lungs or bones.
Grade of Liver Cancer:
Grade indicates how quickly or slowly cancer cells grow. The grade is determined by the appearance of the cells under the microscope. Tumors are graded on a scale of 1 to 3.
Grade 1 - cells look most like normal tissue (called well differentiated or low-grade).
Grade 2 - cells look somewhat like normal tissue (called moderately well differentiated or moderate grade).
Grade 3 - cells appear very abnormal (called poorly differentiated or undifferentiated or high-grade). They are likely to grow more quickly and more likely to spread.
