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Hepatocellular carcinoma



Digestive system
Digestive system
Liver biopsy
Liver biopsy
Hepatocellular cancer, CT scan
Hepatocellular cancer, CT scan


Hepatocellular carcinoma

Alternative Names:

Primary liver cell carcinoma; Tumor - liver; Liver cancer; Cancer - liver
Treatment:

Aggressive surgery or liver transplantation may be successful in treating small or slow-growing tumors if they are diagnosed early.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are not usually effective but may be used to shrink large tumors so that surgery has a greater chance of success.


Support Groups:


The stress of illness can often be eased by joining a support group with members who share common experiences and problems. See liver disease - support group and cancer - support group.


Expectations (prognosis):

The usual outcome is poor, because only 10% to 20% of hepatocellular carcinomas can be removed completely using surgery. If the cancer cannot be completely removed, the disease is usually fatal within 3 to 6 months, although this is highly variable. Survival much longer than this occasionally occurs.


Complications:

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if persistent abdominal pain develops, particularly if there has been a history of any liver disease.




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