Liver  Cancer

The liver is the second-largest organ in the body and is located under the rib cage on the right-hand side. Among its very important functions are that it cleans the blood of toxins and produces bile for digestion. The liver processes what we eat and filters out harmful substances from the blood.

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Symptoms: loss of appetite, feeling of fullness or weight gain, pain in the abdomen or near the right shoulder blade, nausea or vomiting, swollen abdomen, capillaries becoming visible on the skin of the abdomen, itchy skin, yellowing of skin, or an enlarged spleen.

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Causes:  Type II diabetes has been linked to liver cancer. Also the use of anabolic steroids or male hormones can increase the risk of liver cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common type of primary liver cancer and is known to occur in people suffering from chronic liver diseases.

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Cirrhosis is the term used to indicate extreme scarring of the liver and loss of cells. The more stress imposed on the liver the more scar tissue the liver creates in an attempt to heal itself. When the scarring becomes extreme, the result is cirrhosis. Once this damage has been done, it is very difficult to reverse. Cirrhosis can also be caused by Hepatitis B, non alcoholic fatty liver disease, cystic fibrosis, Wilson’s disease, syphilis and certain kinds of medication