The liver neoplasm is the abnormal growth that develops in the liver which can either be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). The primary liver cancers are named after the type of cell and the area of the body where they first developed. The primary liver cancer has the potential of travelling to other parts of the body via the blood or the lymphatic system. When they continue to grow and affect another part of the body it is known as secondary cancer. The treatments accordingly are based on the original cell type.
Benign Liver tumors
These types of tumors of the liver are common which do not spread to other parts of the body. The benign tumors are often not detected until tests are done for other conditions. The benign liver tumors do not present any symptoms and are not considered to be a serious health risk. The three most common types of benign tumors are hemangiomas, focal nodular hyperplasias and hepatocellular adenomas. Hemangiomas are the most common form of benign liver tumors followed by the focal nodular hyperplasias which do not require treatment as they don’t produce any symptoms. However, the symptoms may develop because of the increased size of the tumor and their close proximity to other organs and in such cases, a surgical intervention may be required. The hepatocellular adenomas usually develop among the women of childbearing age and are associated with the use of oral contraceptive medications. These rarely cause problems although treatment process can reduce the size of the tumor.
Liver Cancer
The main primary liver cancer includes hepatocellular carcinoma, fibrolamellar carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), angiosarcoma and hepatoblastoma. The hepatocellular carcinoma is the common form of liver cancer that develops in the liver cells called hepatocytes and appears to be more prevalent among those with damaged liver from cirrhosis. Fibrolamellar carcinoma is the rare subtype of hepatocellular cancer that develops among the younger people. The cholangiocarcinoma is cancer that develops along the bile ducts. The angiosarcoma occurs in the blood vessels of the liver which is considered to be very rare and the hepatoblastoma also is a rare type of primary liver cancer that often is detected in children less than 3 years of age. Some of the symptoms of liver cancer include loss of appetite, abdominal swelling, unintended weight loss, jaundice, white chalky stools, fatigue, weakness, upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Although the exact cause of liver disease is not known, some of the risk factors associated with developing it include cirrhosis, chronic liver infection such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C, diabetes, certain inherited liver diseases like hemochromatosis, excessive alcohol consumption and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The treatment for primary liver cancer is based on the stage of cancer, the age of the individual and their overall health. The surgery can remove the tumor depending on the location of cancer and how well the liver functions. A liver transplant surgery is also an option for those with the early-stage liver cancer. Some of the localized treatment options include heating cancer cells in a procedure called radiofrequency ablation that destroys cancer cells, freezing cancer cells (cryoablation), chemoembolization or injecting pure alcohol directly into tumors.
References
https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/liver-disease/benign-tumors.html
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/liver-cancer/types
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Cancer-of-the-liver/Pages/Treatment.aspx
