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Overview
Cancer of the liver may either arise from the cells of the liver itself( primary liver cancer) or more often it is due to spread of cancer from other organs in the body such as breast or lung (secondary liver cancer) The leading causes of primary liver cancer are hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Types of primary liver cancer include:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) — exhibits different growth patterns. Some spread tentacle-like growths through the liver. Others start as a tumor that spreads to other parts of the liver. Some are nodules growing in several places in the liver.
- Cholangiocarcinoma (or bile duct cancer) — grows from cells in the bile duct of the liver, a thin tube that extends from the liver to the small intestine.
- Angiosarcoma — a fast-growing cancer that starts in the blood vessels of the liver
Symptoms
The most telling sign of liver disease is jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes). Symptoms include:
- Abdominal swelling.
- Enlarged liver.
- Abdominal pain.
- Nausea/vomiting.
- Weakness/fatigue.
- Loss of appetite.
- Weight loss
Diagnosis
Tests and procedures to diagnose liver cancer include:
- CT (CAT) scan — uses x-rays with an injected dye to produce cross-sectional images of the body that make it easier to detect tumors.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — uses radio waves and a magnetic field, sometimes with the addition of a contrast dye, to create complex images of the liver.
- Ultrasound — uses sound waves to produce pictures of internal organs.
- Liver biopsy — a needle or laparoscope is used to obtain a tissue sample. This is the definitive way to diagnose liver cancer.
- Blood tests — to check for the presence of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which may be an indicator of a tumor
Determining Treatment Options
Treatment for liver cancer depends on its size, stage, and location, and whether it has spread.
Treatments
There are many treatment options for patients with liver cancer. These include:
- Surgery — if the cancer is confined to one lobe of the liver, it may be removed surgically.
- Radiation therapy — uses high intensity energy rays to destroy cancer cells, may be targeted from a machine outside the body, or seeded directly into the liver. Placing radioactive "seeds" directly into the liver may help eliminate small areas of tumor that could not be removed during surgery.
- Radiofrequency ablation — several thin needles are inserted into the tumor to deliver an electrical current that destroys cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy — delivers anti-cancer drugs by a vein or by mouth.
- Chemoembolization — a type of chemotherapy delivering potent cancer killing drugs directly to the liver.
- Liver transplantation — the diseased liver is surgically removed and a liver from a healthy donor is implanted.
- Clinical trials — clinical trials using investigational treatments may be discussed as a possible treatment option for some patients, depending on the specific requirements of the different trials and the patient’s cancer stage and disease status.
Biogen Idec Investigational Treatments
- Clinical trials—using investigational treatments may be discussed as a possible treatment option for some patients, depending on the specific requirements of the different trials and the patient’s cancer stage and disease status. Click here to learn more about clinical trials. About Clinical Trials
Currently, Biogen Idec is conducting clinical trials in this disease.
For more information, click here.
To contact Biogen, click here.
Liver Cancer Resources
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=liver+cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/liver/
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/liver
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/livercancer.html
http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat197.html
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