Liver Cancer – Symptoms and Treatments
Liver is an important organ that performs a number of different functions like maintaining fluid balance in the body, handling toxic substances etc. It also produces bile that is instrumental in breaking down fat. Occurrence of cancer in the liver is termed as liver cancer.
Types of Liver cancer
On a broad basis, we can classify liver cancer as primary liver cancer and secondary cancer. When cancer originates in the liver itself, it is called as primary liver cancer. Liver cancer is known as secondary liver cancer when it originates in some other part of the body and then spreads to liver (e.g. due to proximity of liver to the place where cancer originated in the body). Hepatoma and bile duct cancer are the two main types of liver cancer.
Causes of Liver cancer
The two main causes of Liver cancer are: Excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks and occurrence of infections like Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. It’s unfortunate to note that though a number of people know that alcohol can increase the risk of Liver cancer, they still don’t cut down on alcohol.
Symptoms of Liver cancer
Liver cancer can lead to enlargement of Liver which can result in discomfort e.g. pain in the upper abdomen or pain in the right shoulder. There are some other common symptoms of Liver cancer (none of them are too conclusive though) like nausea, weakness, loss of weight etc. Other symptoms of liver cancer include jaundice and fluid disbalance in the body (e.g. building up of fluid in the abdomen). However, these too are just mildly indicative of liver cancer and are in no way conclusive symptoms.
Diagnosis of Liver cancer
Recognizing the symptoms and seeking professional help (from qualified doctors) can help early diagnosis of liver cancer. So, consult your doctor and let him/her know all the symptoms that you have been experiencing. The doctor might do a physical examination and prescribe certain tests as the need may be. The physical examination is basically to check the enlargement of liver. Other tests include liver ultrasound scan, abdominal CT scan, liver biopsy etc.
Treatment of liver cancer
Based on the type of liver cancer, the stage of liver cancer and your general health etc, the doctor might prescribe one or more liver cancer treatment techniques. Surgical procedure to remove the affected part of liver is one of the treatments for liver cancer (especially if it has not spread elsewhere). Besides surgery there are other techniques that use laser and other procedure for removal or destruction of tumor/ liver cancer. Chemotherapy is also one of the liver cancer treatments.
Use Milk Thistle to Protect Against Liver Diseases and Cancer
Milk thistle, with the scientific name Silybum marianum, is a flowering plant with spiny leaves that produces yellow, white and sometimes purple flowers. It is called “milk thistle” because its leaves have blotches of white and produce a milky-white substance.
Milk thistle extracts have been used hundreds of years ago to improve liver functions and to treat various types of liver diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, liver damage caused by toxic substances, and diseases of the gallbladder. Milk thistle contains silymarin, the substance responsible for protecting the liver from damages.
It is believed that the antioxidant properties of silymarin, its ability to protect the body especially the liver from oxidative stress and; it’s ability to strengthen the cell membranes is what makes silymarin an effective protection and treatment against diseases that may affect the various parts of our body.
An article published by the American Journal of Gastroenterologists reports that silymarin with its silibin content is an effective antioxidant that cleans the body of free radicals, increases production of liver proteins and inhibits the production of tumor cells. Silymarin is the main ingredient that is responsible for protecting the liver and kidneys from the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol including the ill effects of chemotherapy.
An article published in the Integrative Cancer Therapies show that this supplement treats inflammation and regulates the activities of T-cells, prevents cancer and various liver diseases. It is safe to take with only minor stomach upset and laxative effect experienced hours after taking the supplement.
Another article published in the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience reports that milk thistle promotes the growth of neural cells which could provide long-term benefits to the nervous system, and provide improvement in its ability to survive extended periods of laboratory experiments. It is also known to prevent the death of brain cells caused by oxidative stress.
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