Liver cancer, also called hepatic cancer, is a type of
cancer that begins in the cells of the liver. If the cancer starts in the liver,
then it is called primary liver cancer. It is called secondary when the cancer
comes to the liver from another part of the body by metastasis.
There are several forms of liver cancer but the most common is the
hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatoma), which starts in the hepatocyte cells of
liver and develops as a complication of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or cirrhosis.
Rare types of liver cancer may include:
- Hepatoblastoma, which affects young children.
- Angiosarcoma, which starts in the blood vessels.
- Cholangiocarcinoma. It grows from cells in the bile duct of the liver.
People may experience no symptoms, especially in early stages. When symptoms
appear, they include abdominal pain that can be sensed at the top right of the
abdominal area and jaundice (skin and the white of the eyes become yellow).
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