Liver Cancer, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Treated by Doctors in Baltimore Region

Hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer, is a malignant tumor that begins in the liver. Liver cancer most often occurs in livers that have been damaged by birth defects, alcohol abuse, or chronic infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hemochromatosis, and cirrhosis. Sometimes cancers from other organs spread to the liver. This kind of cancer is not hepatocellular cancer but rather metastatic cancer and is treated according to the location in which the cancer originated.

Liver cancer symptoms do not appear in the early stages of cancer. Often liver cancer symptoms are the same as other liver diseases and can include:

• Weight loss
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Enlarged abdomen
• Jaundice

Rarely diagnosed early, tests for liver cancer include:

• Blood tests
• Abdominal CT scan
• Ultrasound
• Liver biopsy

Since patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or cirrhosis are at high risk for liver cancer, they should be monitored regularly to watch for any liver tumor development.

A multidisciplinary approach to liver cancer is important for the best possible outcomes as the team of doctors will decide on the best treatment approach. Liver cancer sometimes can be removed with surgery, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). In some cases of liver cancer, a liver transplant may be a treatment option.