Hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver cancer
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer.
Hepatocellular carcinoma occurs most often in people with chronic liver diseases,
such as cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection.

Risk factors

The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer, is higher
in people with long-term liver diseases. It's also higher if the liver is scarred by
infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Hepatocellular carcinoma is more common in
people who drink large amounts of alcohol and who have an accumulation of fat in
the liver.

Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma include:

 Blood tests to measure liver function

 Imaging tests, such as CT and MRI

 Liver biopsy, in some cases, to remove a sample of liver tissue for laboratory
testing

Treatment

Which treatment is best for you will depend on the size and location of your
hepatocellular carcinoma, how well your liver is functioning, and your overall health.

Hepatocellular carcinoma treatments include:

 Surgery. Surgery to remove the cancer and a margin of healthy tissue that

surrounds it may be an option for people with early-stage liver cancers who
have normal liver function.

 Liver transplant surgery. Surgery to remove the entire liver and replace it

with a liver from a donor may be an option in otherwise healthy people whose
liver cancer hasn't spread beyond the liver.
 Destroying cancer cells with heat or cold. Ablation procedures to kill the
cancer cells in the liver using extreme heat or cold may be recommended for
 people who can't undergo surgery. These procedures include radiofrequency
ablation, cryoablation, and ablation using alcohol or microwaves.
 Delivering chemotherapy or radiation directly to cancer cells. Using a
catheter that's passed through your blood vessels and into your liver, doctors
can deliver chemotherapy drugs (chemoembolization) or tiny glass spheres
containing radiation (radioembolization) directly to the cancer cells.
 Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy using energy from X-rays or protons
may be recommended if surgery isn't an option. A specialized type of radiation
therapy, called stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), involves focusing many
beams of radiation simultaneously at one point in your body.
 Targeted drug therapy. Targeted drugs attack specific weaknesses in the
cancer cells, and they may help slow the progression of the disease in people
with advanced liver cancers.
 Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy drugs use your body's germ-fighting
immune system to attack the cancer cells. Immunotherapy may be an option for
treating advanced liver cancer.
 Clinical trials. Clinical trials give you a chance to try new liver cancer
treatments. Ask your doctor whether you're eligible to participate in a clinical
trial.

Overview

A hemoglobin test measures the amount of hemoglobin in your blood. Hemoglobin is

a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body's organs and
tissues and transports carbon dioxide from your organs and tissues back to your
lungs.

If a hemoglobin test reveals that your hemoglobin level is lower than normal, it
means you have a low red blood cell count (anemia). Anemia can have many
different causes, including vitamin deficiencies, bleeding and chronic diseases.

If a hemoglobin test shows a higher than normal level, there are several potential
causes — the blood disorder polycythemia vera, living at a high altitude, smoking
and dehydration.

Overview
Enlarged liver
An enlarged liver is one that's bigger than normal. The medical term is hepatomegaly
(hep-uh-toe-MEG-uh-le).

Rather than a disease, an enlarged liver is a sign of an underlying problem, such as

liver disease, congestive heart failure or cancer. Treatment involves identifying and
controlling the cause of the condition.

Symptoms

An enlarged liver might not cause symptoms.

When enlarged liver results from liver disease, it might be accompanied by:

 Abdominal pain

 Fatigue
 Nausea and vomiting
 Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice)