Tuesday 30 July 2019

What to know about liver metastases


Liver metastases refers to when a cancer that originally formed in another part of the body spreads to the liver. Some healthcare professionals may call liver metastases "secondary liver cancer."
The cancer cells that develop in liver metastases are not cells from the liver. They are cells from the part of the body where the cancer originated.
Because the cancer has spread to the liver from another part of the body, a doctor may refer to liver metastases as stage 4 or advanced cancer.
Primary liver cancer is less common than liver metastases. Typically, people with primary liver cancer have risk factors such as cirrhosis or hepatitis.
Symptoms
The early stages of liver metastases may not present any noticeable symptoms. As the tumorin the liver advances, however, the liver may swell.
The swelling can cause an obstruction to blood and bile flow. When this occurs, a person may experience symptoms such as:
weight loss
dark urine
loss of appetite
abdominal bloating
jaundice, or a yellowing of the skin and eyes
nausea and vomiting
enlarged liver
pain in the right shoulder
pain in the upper right side of the abdomen
confusion
fever
fatigue
sweating
A person with cancer in another area of the body who notices new symptoms should let their healthcare provider know as soon as possible.
If a person has symptoms of liver cancer, a healthcare provider might suspect liver metastases.
After performing an initial examination and asking some questions, they will need to run tests to confirm that liver cancer is present.
Some of the tests they may run include:
CT scan of the abdomen
liver functions tests, which check how well the liver is functioning
ultrasound of the liver
laparoscopy, which involves a flexible tube that allows the doctor to take a biopsy of the liver
angiogram, wherein a doctor uses dye to make high-contrast images of the liver
an MRI scan
Treatment for common types
Treating liver metastases typically aims to alleviate symptoms and increase life expectancy. In most cases, there is no way to cure liver metastases.
There are two treatment approaches for liver metastases: local and systematic. A person's age and overall health status will determine what approach a doctor may suggest.
Treatment will also depend on where the primary cancer is, the size and number of tumors on the liver, and any past treatments the person has tried.
Some local treatment options include:
radiofrequency ablation, which uses high-frequency electrical currents to create enough heat to kill cancer cells
radiation therapy, which can be from injected radiation or machines that use a beam of radiation to target a tumor
Systematic treatments may target cancer throughout the body via the bloodstream. Some possible options for liver metastases include:
biological response modifier therapy, which helps boost the body's immune system
chemotherapy, which uses drugs to target rapidly growing cells throughout the body
hormone therapy, which targets cancers that rely on hormones to grow, such as breast cancer
targeted therapy, which directly targets cancer cells
Life expectancy and prognosis for people with liver metastases are typically poor, as the cancer tends not to be curable.
However, treatments may help shrink the tumor, improve life expectancy, and relieve symptoms.
Overall 5 year survival rates depend on the cancer's origin. Other factors include sex, age, and the overall health of the individual.
For example, according to one study, the 5 year survival rates for people with liver metastases originating from the colon are as follows:
fewer than 8 months without treatment
11% chance of survival with treatment
A doctor is the best person to give a prediction on survival. In all cases, survival rates are only estimates. A person may live far longer or shorter than expected.



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