Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is also known as malignant hepatoma. It is the most common type of liver carcinoma. What Are The Risk Factors?
The major risk factors include cirrhosis and underlying liver diseases. Cirrhosis may be caused by alcohol abuse, Hepatitis B/C virus infection, autoimmune liver diseases, chronic liver inflammation, and hemochromatosis. Some of the underlying liver diseases, which commonly manifests into HCC are: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection, hemochromatosis, alpha 1-antitripsin deficiency, or NASH (Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatits). NASH (commonly referred as Fatty liver disease) occurs predominantly in people suffering from obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, …show more content…
HCC is suspected to develop from hepatic stem cells that proliferate after viral injury with local expansion, intrahepatic spread, and distant metastasis. Patients with NASH can progress from fibrosis, to cirrhosis, and finally to HCC.
How to Diagnose HCC?
In early stages, HCC shows symptoms of the underlying liver disease. These may include abdominal distention, edema, gastrointestinal bleeding, jaundice, encephalopathy (confusion), weight loss, hemorrhagic ascites, or portal vein thrombosis. HCC can easily be detected at an earlier stage through routine screening of cirrhosis by using serum alpha-fetoprotein measurements or imaging studies such as abdominal CT scan, ultrasound, MRI, and angiography of patients with liver cirrhosis. HCC can also be detected by histological examination of tissue specimens to check for the extent of growth.
How Can HCC Be Treated?
HCC treatment is a multidisciplinary approach. Multiple specialists need to function simultaneously to provide the best possible outcome. This means, hepatologists, transplant and hepatobiliary surgeons, medical oncologists, interventional radiologists, and palliative care specialists –all work in a timely manner, especially for liver transplant patients, while their tumors are within the Milan
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is also known as malignant hepatoma. It is the most common type of liver carcinoma. What Are The Risk Factors?
The major risk factors include cirrhosis and underlying liver diseases. Cirrhosis may be caused by alcohol abuse, Hepatitis B/C virus infection, autoimmune liver diseases, chronic liver inflammation, and hemochromatosis. Some of the underlying liver diseases, which commonly manifests into HCC are: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection, hemochromatosis, alpha 1-antitripsin deficiency, or NASH (Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatits). NASH (commonly referred as Fatty liver disease) occurs predominantly in people suffering from obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, …show more content…
HCC is suspected to develop from hepatic stem cells that proliferate after viral injury with local expansion, intrahepatic spread, and distant metastasis. Patients with NASH can progress from fibrosis, to cirrhosis, and finally to HCC.
How to Diagnose HCC?
In early stages, HCC shows symptoms of the underlying liver disease. These may include abdominal distention, edema, gastrointestinal bleeding, jaundice, encephalopathy (confusion), weight loss, hemorrhagic ascites, or portal vein thrombosis. HCC can easily be detected at an earlier stage through routine screening of cirrhosis by using serum alpha-fetoprotein measurements or imaging studies such as abdominal CT scan, ultrasound, MRI, and angiography of patients with liver cirrhosis. HCC can also be detected by histological examination of tissue specimens to check for the extent of growth.
How Can HCC Be Treated?
HCC treatment is a multidisciplinary approach. Multiple specialists need to function simultaneously to provide the best possible outcome. This means, hepatologists, transplant and hepatobiliary surgeons, medical oncologists, interventional radiologists, and palliative care specialists –all work in a timely manner, especially for liver transplant patients, while their tumors are within the Milan