Causes Of Liver Cancer And How To CrowdFund For Treatment

By: Sukhada, Pradeep

Published On: June 01, 2022

Liver cancer is among the fastest spreading cancers in India. So, what causes liver cancer? Before getting into the reasons for liver cancer, let us understand its early signs and symptoms.

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The abnormal growth of cancer cells in the liver is a liver cancer cause. This is what causes liver tumors. Liver cancer cells can even spread to other organs. When that happens, it is called metastasis. But cancer initiating in the liver and spreading to the bones is still liver cancer and not bone cancer. So, how does a person know if he or she has liver cancer? Also what causes liver cancer?

What Is The First Sign Of Liver Cancer?

The following signs may indicate the initiation of liver cancer spread:

White, chalky stools: Bile is a yellow-green fluid produced by our liver and is responsible for carrying away waste from the body and for breaking down fats during digestion. Bilirubin is a yellowish orange fluid that is responsible for the pigmentation of the stool. White, chalky stools indicate a lack of bile and abnormal levels of bilirubin which may be one of the liver cancer causes.

Skin and eyes turning yellow: Yellowing of skin and eyes indicates a high level of bilirubin which is an indication of the abnormal functioning of the liver. Bilirubin is produced by the breaking down of red blood cells. Hence, a high level of bilirubin may also indicate disorders of red blood cells and could also be a liver cancer cause.

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Abdominal swelling: A swollen belly could be due to multiple causes. These include abdominal distention, irritable bowel syndrome, ascites, and other problems. Abdominal swelling could also be a symptom of liver cancer. The liver increases in size due to growing cancer and one may witness a swelling of the abdomen, especially on the right side.

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Upper abdominal pain: If a person experiences abdominal pain, particularly on the top right side of the abdomen, it may be a liver cancer sign. However, the pain may also be associated with conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, heartburn, gastritis, pancreatitis, and ulcers.

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Other factors may include nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, and fatigue. When a person experiences any of the above symptoms, it’s time to see the doctor.

Stages Of Liver Cancer

Liver cancer, like most other cancers, occurs in 4 stages.

Stage I: In the initial stage of liver cancer, a tumor of around 2cm gets formed in the liver but does not spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage II: In the second stage, either the tumor grows in size or multiple tumors (less than 5cm) get formed in the liver. The tumor grows into blood vessels but not to lymph nodes in this stage.

Stage III: At least one tumor more than 5cm grows into a major branch of a large vein of the liver. The tumor still does not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to distant sites. This stage is further divided in 3 parts namely III-A, III-B, and III-C.

Stage IV: In the end stage of liver cancer, either one large tumor or multiple large tumors get formed and spread to nearby lymph nodes. It spreads to distant organs such as the bones or lungs. This stage is further categorized into Stage IV-A and IV-B.

Stage 4 liver cancer symptoms: Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of cancer. End-stage liver cancer symptoms include liver enlargement, abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, feeling full after eating just a little, fluid in the abdomen, itching all over the body, jaundice, nausea and vomiting, spleen enlargement, and weight loss.

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Now, what causes this deadly disease?

What Causes Liver Cancer?

Alcohol abuse: Consuming large amounts of alcohol can be dangerous for health. It is one of the primary liver cancer causes and other liver disorders such as alcohol hepatitis and alcohol cirrhosis. Every time your liver filters alcohol, some of the cells in it get destroyed. The liver, however, has the ability to build new cells but prolonged alcohol abuse can reduce this ability of the liver to generate new cells. This may result in permanent liver damage and is thus a major liver cancer cause.

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Tobacco use: Tobacco could be a liver cancer cause. Wondering how? Consuming tobacco, especially smoking tobacco, aggravates the harmful effect of alcohol on the liver. This includes liver inflammation and scarring in the liver and could be a liver cancer cause. The addictiveness of tobacco is due to a substance called nicotine. Chewing or smoking tobacco may lead to fatal conditions such as heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and different types of cancer including liver cancer.

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Anabolic steroids: Overuse of anabolic steroids can be a reason for liver cancer. These are synthetic hormones that are a replica of testosterone. Overuse of anabolic steroids may have a direct effect on the liver and could be a liver tumor cause. It leads to the development of tumors in the liver, especially hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, long-term use of these steroids could be a cause of liver cancer.

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Aflatoxin: Aflatoxins are a group of poisonous carcinogens that are considered liver tumor cause. These are produced by fungi like Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which are found abundantly in warm and humid regions of the world. Now, how can this fungus that is found on crops such as maize be a liver cancer cause? According to a study by The National Library of Medicine, chronic low-level exposure to aflatoxin B1 may increase the risk of developing liver cancer, impaired immune function, and malnutrition. Acute high-level exposure causes early symptoms of diminished appetite, malaise, and low fever. This makes aflatoxin a liver cancer cause in humans.