Liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that starts only in the liver. When you have another cancer that has spread into the liver that is called metastatic disease. Liver cancer is caused by chronic inflammation in the liver usually as a result of infections like hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Other causes of Liver cancer are cirrhosis from chronic alcoholism or fatty liver disease, which results in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which comes from obesity. In places where hepatitis B is prevalent, like Asia or Africa, the cause is more from the infection but in the United States the most common cause is from alcoholism along with hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Liver cancer can go undetected because the patient is already suffering from the cirrhosis and the cancer is hiding within the cirrhotic liver. Eventually it becomes clear that there is a problem because patient has a lot of yellowing of the skin, or jaundice. They can have excessive bleeding from the stomach, bruising on the skin, or fluid buildup within the abdomen, called ascites. Some patients will start to lose weight, have

For more information about liver cancer treatment in Arizona contact Ironwood Cancer & Research Centers at (480) 821-2838 or visit Ironwoodcrc.com.

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