Diagnosis and Survival Rates
Overall survival rates for liver cancer is less than 10 percent five years after initial diagnosis. The five-year mark is the standard used by physicians for prognosis of most cancers. This means that, on average, the overall rate of survival for all cancer patients living longer than five years is less than 10 percent, with or without treatment, depending on the stage of cancer.
Liver cancer is diagnosed in stages, as are most cancers. If diagnosed early, survival rate is 30-60 percent and could possibly be treated with surgery. Advanced stages of liver cancer bring with them a diagnosis of less than a five-percent chance of survival, with death probable within months.
Doctors use the stages to determine how far advanced the cancer is, if cirrhosis is occurring and what types of treatments, if any, will be needed. Blood tests, CAT scans, ultrasounds and MRIs are used to help determine the stages and if the cancer is treatable.
Stages of Liver Cancer
Stage 1: Localized area. Only one tumor has been detected, and the cancer has not spread to any nearby tissue or vessels. Treatable by removal.
Stage 2: Spread to more than one area. One or more tumors no larger than five centimeters, and no cirrhosis detected. Chemotherapy, transplant or surgery treatment.
Stage 3: Advanced. Multiple tumors larger than five centimeters, and the cancer has spread either to major blood vessels, the gallbladder or lymph nodes. There will also be hardening of the liver if cirrhosis is present. Treatment for this stage of cancer is determined by where the cancer has spread to and how much cirrhosis is present. Surgery may not be an option if there won't be enough healthy liver left to function properly. Stage 3 has substages that will be determined by a doctor. Again, chemotherapy, surgery, radiation or transplants are treatment options.
Stage 4: Advanced. This stage of liver cancer has spread to the bones and lungs or other vital organs. This stage cannot be treated with surgery. Aggressive treatments of chemotherapy and radiation are used in addition to transplant options.
Conclusion
Symptoms to watch out for in advanced stages will be nausea, sleepiness, lethargy, confusion, pain in the liver area, swelling and liver spots or tiny burst vessels on various areas of the skin. Since the liver's function is to filter out impurities in the body and cleanse the blood, if there are multiple tumors or cirrhosis present, the blood cannot flow through the liver correctly. When this happens, the liver will harden and the blood will tend to back up in various blood vessels and cause the vessels to bulge. As the disease progresses, the vessels will become more enlarged as the liver gets harder and, in some cases, will cause hemorrhaging as the larger vessels burst. It is very important to have liver function blood tests at a yearly exam to try to catch any problems early.
Tags: cancer spread, cirrhosis present, less than, liver cancer, than five