Liver cancer or hepatic cancer originates in the liver as the name suggests. Even though there is a chance that some cancers might originate in the region outside the liver and later affect the organ, the cancerous cells that affect the liver can be referred to as liver cancer. Being one of the largest organs in the body the liver is important for survival. It plays a role in functions like removing toxins from the body.

Liver cancer can be the appearance of malignant tumors either inside or outside the liver. It is found that the number of people diagnosed with this illness is 22,000 in men and 9,000 in women. Liver cancer, compared to other cancers has a lower chance of survival. If you are an extensive alcoholic, you might have a higher risk of liver cancer.

Symptoms
Symptoms are usually dormant until the cancer is at a higher stage. As liver cancer is highly dangerous, even the slightest signs should be enough reason to visit a doctor. Following are the symptoms that you might experience:

• Jaundice
• Pain in the abdomen
• Weight loss
• Enlarged liver
• Vomiting
• Back pain
• Fever
• Itching

Causes
Even though there is no clarity on the cause in most cases, some cases might show the presence of liver cancer due to specific hepatitis viruses. Usually, liver cancer happens when the cells mutate the DNA present in them. As DNA is the genetic material that is responsible for controlling every chemical process in the body, changes in DNA also leads to changes in these processes. Causing many different results, the most common one is the overgrowth of these cells and leading to the formation of tumors.

Stages
Determining what stage of cancer you might be suffering from is essential, as it allows your doctor to plan and strategize the treatment. The four stages liver cancer is classified into the following:

• Stage 1
  The tumor has developed but is confined to the liver for the moment.
• Stage 2
  There can be one of the two scenarios happening in this stage; either the liver has developed numerous small tumors or one tumor that has spread to a blood vessel.
• Stage 3
  Due to the tumors being in contact with a blood vessel, the carcinogens might have spread to the gallbladder as well.
• Stage 4
  In this stage, cancer has infected other body parts. This can also be called metastasizing.

Treatment
Depending on the stage you have been diagnosed in, treatment can be carried out accordingly. If you have been diagnosed in an early stage, removal of tumors through surgery can lead to a possibility of recovery.

• Partial hepatectomy
  This process involves surgical removal of the infected portion of the liver due to the fact that, it is the only organ capable of self-regeneration. This procedure is only possible if the tumor has spread to a small part of the liver.

• Liver transplant
  In the case of having a tumor of the size below 5 cm, the liver can be replaced with a healthier one. This reduces the risk of cancer returning with the restoration of normal function of the liver.