Liver cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the liver.iver cancers can be classified into two types. They are either primary, when the cancer starts in the liver itself, or metastatic, when the cancer has spread to the liver from some other part of the body.  Unlike normal cells, which divide and multiply under strict control, cancer cells reproduce without order or limits. They can invade healthy tissues or break away and travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body.

Causes

The exact cause of primary liver cancer is still unknown. In adults, however, it is often linked to chronic infection with hepatitis B or C, or to the degenerative liver disease known as cirrhosis. Alcohol abuse increases the risk of liver cancer, and it's thought that certain contaminants in the diet, such as fungal aflatoxins, may also be at fault.

Symptoms

The early symptoms of primary, as well as metastatic, liver cancer are often vague and not unique to liver disorders. They include:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Unexplained weight loss
• Unusual tiredness
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite

If left undetected, the cancer will grow and cause pain in the upper abdomen on the right side, possibly extending into the back and shoulder. You may also experience abdominal swelling and a bloated feeling. A few people also develop jaundice, a condition in which the skin turns yellow and the urine becomes a dark color.

Treatment

Treatment of liver cancer is based on several factors, including the type of cancer (primary or metastatic); stage (early or advanced); the location of other primary cancers or metastases in the patient's body; the patient's age; and other coexisting diseases, including cirrhosis.
To verify the presence of liver cancer, your doctor will probably order images of the liver, typically produced by ultrasound or computed tomography (CT), a scan that generates cross-sectional views of the organs.

Once the diagnosis is established, the major treatment options include:
Surgery: If the cancer is confined to the liver, it may be possible to remove the cancerous tumor surgically. In some cases, a liver transplant may also be an option.

Chemotherapy: Often called "chemo," this type of therapy uses drugs to kill or shrink tumor cells. Many different chemo medicines are available. They may be taken as a pill or shot, or given through an IV. Typical chemo tends to be less effective on liver cancer than it is on other forms of cancer. For this reason, a technique called hepatic artery infusion may be used. In this procedure, the chemo drugs are injected directly into the artery that brings blood to the liver, enabling delivery of especially high doses. Although this form of treatment is known to shrink some liver tumors, it has not been shown to prolong life.  The drugs can produce many side effects and may leave you susceptible to infection for a while.

Other treatments: Although they are used infrequently, other forms of therapy sometimes help. Cryosurgery destroys cancer cells by freezing them with a metal probe. Ethanol ablation kills cells with alcohol injected directly into the tumor. Radiation therapy , while common for many types of cancer, is rarely used for liver cancer, since studies have shown that it fails to prolong life. It may, however, relieve some pain.