Liver Cancer FAQs

Although liver cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world, it is uncommon in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates 28,720 people will be diagnosed with liver cancer this year, and numbers have been rising by approximately 3-3.6% each year since 1992. Approximately 20,550 deaths will occur, with incidence and death rates both being higher in men than in women.

The numbers are not encouraging. Liver cancer is not discussed as often as some other cancers, possibly because the death rates are so high and 5 year survival rates tend to be low (approximately 14%). But that doesn't mean there are no prevention steps that could (and should) be taken in order to decrease one's risk. The numbers mean it's even more important to know your risks, the symptoms, and what you can do to prevent it.

In the United States, alcohol-related cirrhosis, and possibly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with obesity, account for the majority of liver cancer cases. In fact, colorectal, breast, and many other cancers list obesity as a risk factor.

Cancer of the liver that did not originate there is not called liver cancer. It is the result of a metastasis of cancer from another part of the body such as the colon or ovaries, and is named after the first, or "primary" site.

Unfortunately, screening has not been proven to improve survival in liver cancer, so being familiar with signs and symptoms are especially important. Common symptoms include:

• Losing weight without trying
• Loss of appetite
• Upper abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• General weakness and fatigue
• An enlarged liver (occurs in 50%-90% of patients)
• Abdominal swelling
• Yellow discoloration of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• White, chalky stools

More information on liver cancer, and what you can do to reduce your risk, can be found at the Mayo Clinic website.

October Awareness

This week we take note of two kinds of cancer that are being recognized during the month of October. One you may already know quite a bit about, but the other may be less familiar.

Breast Cancer

The number of breast cancer survivors has risen over the last couple of decades thanks in part to the efforts of national organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Under the umbrella of these organizations, thousands of small groups and local initiatives have been created with the mission of educating friends, neighbors, sisters and daughters about the need for routine exams and screenings in order to catch breast cancer in earlier and more effectively treated stages.

More people are surviving, but it's also good to know that incidences of breast cancer have been declining since 2000. This decrease (almost 7%, according to the American Cancer Society) can be attributed to reductions in the use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The Women's Health Initiative produced a report in 2002 that found that the combination of estrogen plus progestin was associated with increased risk of breast cancer and coronary heart disease. The report led to a reduction of therapies and birth control options combining both of those hormones.

At Hope Cancer Resources we approach breast cancer on many levels. We have certified health educators on staff who work in the community to spread information about early detection and screenings. Through our Save-A-Life program, we also help the under- and uninsured pay for their required mammograms. Finally, we share information about local support groups offered for women who are going through breast cancer treatment or who are survivors of the disease.

You can find breast cancer news and information at the following websites:
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Young Survival Coalition

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is not common in the United States, with just over 26,000 new cases expected to be diagnosed this year. That is about 2% of all new cancers expected to be diagnosed. In contrast, liver cancer accounts for up to half of all cancers in many underdeveloped countries, mainly because of the prevalence of hepatitis, caused by contagious viruses, that predisposes a person to liver cancer. In the U.S., new cases have been increasing by about 3.4% in men and 3% in women each year since 1992. Incidence rates are highest among Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics.


The liver can be affected by primary liver cancer, which begins in the liver, or by cancer which begins in other parts of the body and then spreads to the liver through the bloodstream. Most liver cancer is secondary or metastatic, meaning it started elsewhere in the body.

Symptoms for liver cancer include:

• Losing weight without trying
• Loss of appetite
• Upper abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• General weakness and fatigue
• An enlarged liver
• Abdominal swelling
• Yellow discoloration of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• White, chalky stools

More information on liver cancer can be found at the following websites:
Mayo Clinic
National Cancer Institute