The History of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is a serious cancer most often treated through surgery or organ transplant. Unfortunately, according to the Hepatitis B Foundation, less than 10 percent of liver cancer victims survive five years after diagnosis. The causes of the cancer are numerous and dependent on the history of the patient as well as the time period in which the underlying conditions were contracted.
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Hepotacellular Carcinoma
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Hepotacellular carcinoma is the most common form of liver cancer and is most often found in males. From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, hepotacellular carcinoma was estimated to have increased approximately 71 percent. Additionally, according to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, all other associated liver cancers were estimated to have risen at a similar pace.
Alcoholism
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Alcoholism has long been associated with liver cancer as a contributing factor; however, its involvement is extremely complex. Studies have shown, particularly in clinical studies in Sweden, that alcoholism alone does not significantly determine whether or not a person will contract liver cancer. However, as a result of alcoholism, affected individuals can contract cirrhosis, scarring of the liver, which can ultimately lead to liver cancer. As a result of the Swedish research presented in 2001, it is easy to conclude that though alcoholism alone isn't a direct cause of liver cancer, its consequences are.
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Hepatitis C
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Hepatitis C has also been closely associated with liver cancer, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s in America through tainted blood transfusions. Like alcoholism, Hepatitis C alone isn't responsible for liver cancer; however, people developing cirrhosis as a complication of the disease are at a higher risk of developing the cancer. Hepatitis C victims have a 20 percent chance of developing cirrhosis, and of those affected, an additional 20 percent have a chance of contracting the cancer ultimately giving affected individuals a 40 percent chance of liver cancer.
Hepatits C
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Hepatitis B is the leading cause of all liver cancers throughout the world. The condition can both be sexually transmitted as well as transmitted through needles; however, with the introduction of the hepatitis B vaccine, the condition is the most easy to treat. Unlike Hepatitis C and alcoholism, Hepatitis B victims have an increased likelihood to contract liver cancer regardless of the presence of cirrhosis due to the liver being damaged as a result of the body attempting to fight the infection.
Obesity
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According to pubmed.gov, obesity is also a contributing factor in liver cancer today as a result of a fatty liver; however, studies have shown that instead of being a primary cause, obesity's involvement in liver cancer serves as a hindrance in treatment options. Studies have shown that obesity is not only a factor in liver cancer but is also a contributing factor in all cancers, and individuals suffering from both obesity and liver cancer are at a higher risk of mortality as a result of their condition.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Steven Depolo
