FAQ's on Cancer

Liver Cancer

The liver is the largest organ in the body, and the main heat-producing organ. It is surrounded by a fibrous capsule and is divided into sections called lobes. It is situated in the upper part of the abdomen on the right hand side of the body and is surrounded and protected from injury by the lower ribs.

The liver is an extremely important organ that has many functions. This includes producing proteins that circulate in the blood. Some of these help the blood to clot and prevent excessive bleeding, while others are essential for maintaining the balance of fluid in the body. The liver also destroys harmful substances such as alcohol and gets rid of waste products. It does this by breaking down substances not used by the body so that they can be passed out in the urine or stools (bowel motions).

The liver is also responsible for breaking down food containing carbohydrates (sugars) and fats, so they can be used by the body for energy. It stores substances such as glucose and vitamins so that they can be used by the body when needed. The liver also produces bile, a substance which breaks down the fats in food so that they can be absorbed from the bowel (intestine). The liver has an amazing ability to repair itself. It can function normally with only a small part of it in working order.There are two different types of primary liver cancer. The commoner kind is called hepatoma or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and arises from the main cells of the liver (the hepatocytes). This type is usually confined to the liver, and occurs mostly in people with a liver disease called cirrhosis (see section on causes) although occasionally it spreads to other organs. There is also a rarer sub-type of hepatoma called Fibrolamellar hepatoma, which may occur in younger people and is not related to previous liver diseases.

The other type of primary liver cancer is called cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer, because it starts in the cells lining the bile ducts.

Some primary tumours in the liver are benign (non-cancerous) and do not spread to other parts of the body. They are often small and may produce no symptoms, so may be discovered by chance during operations or investigations for other conditions. Unless they are causing symptoms they do not usually need to be removed.