Liver Cancer Explained
Liver cancer, also called hepatic cancer, is a type of cancer that develops in the liver. Liver cancer is either considered primary or secondary. Primary liver cancer actually begins in the liver; secondary liver cancer begins in other parts of the body and spreads, or metastasizes, to the liver.
Because the liver is the largest organ inside the body and it is made up of different types of cells, many types of tumors can form in the liver, however secondary liver cancer is much more common than primary liver cancer. Many common types of cancer, including colon, rectum, lung, and breast cancers, spread to the liver.
Liver Cancer Treatment Options
Liver cancer treatment options vary depending on the type of cancer and the patient's overall health and medical history. Surgery may be recommended to remove tumors or parts of the liver. A liver transplant may also be a surgical option.
Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be recommended as alternatives to, or in addition to, surgery.
Alternative treatment options may include tumor ablation, embolization therapy or targeted drug therapy.
The Different Types of Liver Cancer
Secondary liver cancer is very different from primary liver cancer. The cancer cells still look and act like cancer cells from the part of the body that they came from, and they need treatments aimed at that kind of cancer, not liver cancer.
There are two main types of primary liver cancer.
