In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for a liver hepatoma may include the following:. Liver function tests. A series of special blood tests that can determine if the liver is functioning properly. Abdominal ultrasound also called sonography. A diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the internal organs. Ultrasounds are used to view internal organs of the abdomen, such as the liver, spleen, and kidneys and to assess blood flow through various vessels.
A diagnostic imaging procedure using a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce horizontal, or axial, images often called slices of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general X-rays. Hepatic angiography. X-rays taken after a substance in injected into the hepatic arteries. Liver biopsy.
A procedure in which tissue samples from the liver are removed with a needle or during surgery from the body for examination under a microscope. In some cases surgery may be used to remove cancerous tissue from the liver. A cancer that starts in the liver is called primary liver cancer. There is more than one kind of primary liver cancer.
Doctors can classify several subtypes of HCC. Most often these subtypes do not affect treatment or prognosis outlook. But one of these subtypes, fibrolamellar, is important to recognize. Often the rest of the liver is not diseased. This subtype tends to have a better outlook than other forms of HCC.
Most of the rest of th is content refers only to hepatocellular carcinoma and is called liver cancer. These cancers start in the cells that line the small bile ducts tubes that carry bile to the gallbladder within the liver.
Most cholangiocarcinomas, however, actually start in the bile ducts outside the liver. Although the rest of this information is mainly about hepatocellular cancers, cholangiocarcinomas are often treated the same way. For more detailed information on this type of cancer, see Bile Duct Cancer. These are rare cancers that begin in cells lining the blood vessels of the liver. Liver cancer begins in the cells of the liver. The most common form of liver cancer begins in cells called hepatocytes and is called hepatocellular carcinoma.
Liver cancer is cancer that begins in the cells of your liver. Your liver is a football-sized organ that sits in the upper right portion of your abdomen, beneath your diaphragm and above your stomach.
Several types of cancer can form in the liver. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma, which begins in the main type of liver cell hepatocyte.
Other types of liver cancer, such as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and hepatoblastoma, are much less common.
Cancer that spreads to the liver is more common than cancer that begins in the liver cells. Cancer that begins in another area of the body — such as the colon, lung or breast — and then spreads to the liver is called metastatic cancer rather than liver cancer.
This type of cancer is named after the organ in which it began — such as metastatic colon cancer to describe cancer that begins in the colon and spreads to the liver. The liver is your largest internal organ. About the size of a football, it's located mainly in the upper right portion of your abdomen, beneath the diaphragm and above your stomach.
Most people don't have signs and symptoms in the early stages of primary liver cancer. When signs and symptoms do appear, they may include:. Liver cancer happens when liver cells develop changes mutations in their DNA. A cell's DNA is the material that provides instructions for every chemical process in your body.
DNA mutations cause changes in these instructions. One result is that cells may begin to grow out of control and eventually form a tumor — a mass of cancerous cells. The most common type of primary malignant liver lesion is hepatoma hepatocellular carcinoma. It is most commonly associated with cirrhosis - a late stage of liver damage caused by various diseases and conditions, but usually linked to chronic alcoholism or hepatitis B or C infection. The fifth most common cancer in the world, and the third most common cause of cancer-related death, early detection is crucial for successful treatment.
But identifying hepatocellular carcinoma liver lesions can be difficult, as they have a variety of appearances in imaging and can easily be mistaken for benign liver lesions. A second opinion from a subspecialist radiologist is strongly encouraged to confirm a diagnosis.
Learn more with our post on how to navigate a liver cancer diagnosis. Also called secondary liver cancer, liver metastases develop when cancer from another part of the body spreads to the liver. Benign liver lesions share numerous characteristics with hepatic metastases. Hemangiomas and focal nodular hyperplasia FNH are particularly difficult to differentiate from metastatic disease and are a serious cause of confusion during image interpretation.
A thorough understanding of the various appearances of hepatic metastases is crucial for accurate diagnoses. For patients undergoing treatment for hepatic metastases, follow-up imaging is a crucial component of patient management.
Learn more about liver metastases. Most benign liver lesions are not linked to a direct cause. They can be found on anyone and, most often, do not pose a threat. The majority of malignant liver lesions are a result of cancer that spreads to the liver from another organ.
Primary malignant liver lesions - meaning cancer cells that originated in the liver - are most commonly associated with cirrhosis, caused by heavy alcohol consumption, hepatitis B infection, or hepatitis C infection. Although usually a benign condition, those with advanced fatty liver disease run the risk of developing cirrhosis, which can lead to liver cancer. Liver lesions can be diagnosed using a combination of blood tests and imaging tests.
Each modality has its own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to characterizing liver tumors. Depending on the type of liver lesion suspected, appropriate scans will be used in conjunction with one another to determine a diagnosis. In inconclusive cases, a biopsy may be required to determine malignancy; however, most physicians prefer to avoid such procedures due to their invasive nature.
Most liver lesions are initially detected during an ultrasound. It is highly sensitive at differentiating a cyst from a solid liver lesion and serves as a good first step in diagnosing a patient. However, in order to distinguish the type of liver lesion found on an ultrasound, more advanced imaging is usually necessary.
Learn more with our post on what to know about your liver ultrasound. A CT scan of the abdomen can help give specific information about the size, shape, and location of a mass in the liver.
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