Hepatoblastoma
Hepatoblastoma is one of the rare types of liver cancer that is developed in kids below three years of age. This type of cancer does not spread to other parts of the body.
Common symptoms of hepatoblastoma include the appearance of a lump in the abdomen, pain or swelling in the abdomen, sudden weight loss, weakness, jaundice, loss of appetite, itchy skin, and nausea.
The symptoms may vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the cancer and if it has spread to other parts of the body. The symptoms may not always indicate liver cancer, in some cases, it is also an indication of other medical conditions.
If your child has any unusual symptoms, consult your doctor. To diagnose the condition, your doctor may do a physical examination of your baby and recommend doing a few tests including blood tests to check the functioning of kidney and liver, CT scan, MRI, and tumour biopsy, etc.
Benign liver growths
Benign liver growth indicates liver tumors that are non-cancerous. This type of liver cancer is common and is not harmful. There are three main types of benign liver growths, they are are haemangioma, hepatic adenoma, and focal nodular hyperplasia.
These types of liver cancer rarely grow or spread to other parts of the body. Individuals with benign liver growths rarely experience any signs or symptoms. Since there are no symptoms, benign liver growth is not diagnosed in most cases. Benign liver growths usually do not require any treatments.
Secondary liver cancer
Secondary liver cancer occurs when cancer that has started in other parts of the body spreads to the liver. The most common cancers that spread to the liver are breast cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc.
Common symptoms of secondary liver cancer include:
- pain in the abdomen
- swelling in the abdomen
- fatigue
- weakness
- loss of appetite
- jaundice
These symptoms might not always indicate liver cancer; they could also be because of other liver ailments or medical conditions.
If you have symptoms of secondary liver cancer, your doctor may recommend you do a few tests. The tests include MRI, CT scan, ultrasound scan, and blood tests to check the functioning of the liver.
Treatment
The treatments for different types of liver cancer are different for different people. Since this type of cancer spreads to the liver because of cancer that has developed in other organs, the treatment depends on the primary cancer cells.
In most cases, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy or a combination treatment of surgery and chemotherapy. Other treatments include hormone therapy, cancer medications, radiotherapy, hepatic artery infusion. In addition, your doctor may also recommend treatment for primary cancer.
Learn more about liver cancer, here.
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