Liver Cancer

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Liver Cancer

• A leading cause of death in the world
• Can be primary or a metastatic site
• Seen more in other parts of the world
• ? incidence African American males
• 40 60 years old
• Cirrhosis
• Hepatitis B and C

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Causes of Liver Cancer

• Primary
• Trauma
• Nutritional deficits
• Carcinogens
• Hepatotoxins
• Aspergillus fungus

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Causes of Liver Cancer

• Metastatic Disease
• Due to the vascularity of the liver
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• Colon and rectum
• Breasts
• Lungs
• Malignant melanoma

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Early Signs and Symptoms

• RUQ pain
• Abdominal tenderness
• Fatigue, malaise
• Anorexia
• Weight loss

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Diagnostic Data

• Nuclear scan
• Determines structural changes
• Ultrasound guided liver biopsy
• Confirms malignancy

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Late Signs and Symptoms

• Looks like cirrhosis
• Jaundice
• Ascites
• Bleeding disorders
• Encephalopathy

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Treatment

• Surgical
• Only for single lesion in one lobe
• Resection of the lobe
• Cryoablation
• Freezing of tumors with liquid nitrogen
• Chemotherapy
• With intravascular infusion pump

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Prognosis

• Usually fatal within 6 months
• Single lesion lobectomies can survive up to 5
  years