Silent liver cancer, what are its characteristics?

Cancer occurs when the genetic material of a cell changes. This causes them to grow uncontrollably, dividing very quickly and dying abnormally. There are many types of cancer, which can develop in any organ or tissue.

“You can reduce your risk of many common types of cancer by making healthy choices. Screening tests can find some cancers early, when treatment is most effective. Vaccines (shots) can help prevent several types of cancer,” says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That is why it is important to carry out regular medical check-ups. There are some types of cancer that are silent, this means that they do not usually present symptoms, but only when they are already in an advanced stage. Getting regular check-ups is key to the prevention and timely diagnosis of this disease.

Some of the most common tests to detect cancer are the following, according to Medline Plus, the website of the National Library of Medicine of the United States:

Tumor biopsy.
Blood tests (which look for chemicals such as tumor markers).
Bone marrow biopsy (for lymphoma or leukemia).
Chest x-ray.
Complete blood count (CBC).
Computed tomography.
Liver function tests.
Magnetic resonance.
Positron emission tomography.

Liver cancer can be a silent cancer. The most common is hepatocellular carcinoma and there are others such as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatoblastoma, although the latter are less common.

“For people at increased risk of liver cancer due to having cirrhosis (from any cause), hereditary hemochromatosis, or chronic hepatitis B infections (even without cirrhosis), some experts recommend screening tests for liver cancer every six months with blood tests for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and ultrasound. In some studies, screening tests were linked to better liver cancer survival”, explain the American Cancer Society.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit entity dedicated to clinical practice, education and research, most patients with liver cancer do not have signs or symptoms of the disease in the early stages. When they manifest they may include the following:

Unintentional weight loss.
loss of appetite
Pain in the upper part of the abdomen.
Nausea and vomiting.
General weakness and fatigue.
Abdominal swelling.
Yellowish discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice).
White or whitish stools.

Treatment

A timely diagnosis is important to start treatment and reduce the risk of major health complications. When the tumor is not operable, doctors may recommend injection of ethanol into the liver, freezing of the tumor, or destruction of the tumor.

When the cancer has metastasized, that is, it has spread to other organs, the common alternative is chemotherapy and treatment of the disease where it has spread.

“In advanced stages of liver cancer, palliative treatment with chemotherapy is chosen, either intravenously or orally. Radiotherapy is not effective in liver cancer”, indicates the Sanitas health entity.