General Article

Liver Cancer is a Serious Disease

Liver Cancer is a Serious Disease

The liver is a very important organ. The liver helps the body perform many functions. The liver helps in the metabolism of protein and lipids. The liver also removes harmful substances from the blood. The liver creates enzymes. The enzymes that the liver creates aid the body in digesting food. The liver also converts foods that a person eats into substances that the body needs. A person can not function without a liver.

Cancer is a disease. Cancer causes cells to become deformed. Normal cells die when they become unhealthy. Deformed cancer cells do not die when they become deformed instead deformed cells reproduce. Cancer cells continue to reproduce until they form a tumor.

Liver cancer is a disease that develops in the liver. Liver cancer can spread to other organs and tissues in the body through the blood or lymph nodes. This disease should be treated as soon as it is discovered.

Often a person does not develop symptoms of cancer until the cancer has been in the body for awhile. The beginning stages of the disease often do not have symptoms. Symptoms of liver cancer include a lump in the upper right abdomen, a swollen abdomen, a feeling of being full or a feeling of heaviness in the upper right part of the abdomen. These symptoms may also be symptoms of other diseases; therefore, a person who experiences these symptoms should seek medical care.

Reasons Individuals Develop Cancer of the Liver

The reason a person develops cancer is usually unknown. Persons who have hepatitis b or c often develop cancer of the liver. Individuals who have cirrhosis of the liver often develop cancer of the liver. Obesity and diabetes also seems to play a role in developing this disease.