Interactive Medical Story
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Liver Cancer
How to get back to life?
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What is liver cancer?
8790
New liver cancer diagnoses annually in Germany
The liver: a special organ
The liver: a special organ
It is located in the right upper part of the abdomen, below the heart.
It is supplied and drained by a vast network of blood vessels.
The liver: a special organ
How is liver cancer noticeable?
Because the liver is not sensitive to pain, liver cancer usually causes no symptoms at first
In the advanced stage, liver cancer manifests itself in several ways.
| Losing weight without trying | Loss of appetite | Upper abdominal pain |
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| Increased temperature | Weakness & fatigue | Abdominal swelling | Yellow skin discoloration |
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How is liver cancer diagnosed?
1. Are tumors present in the liver? If so, how many?
2. Where are exactly the tumors located?
3. How large are these tumors?
4. What is the exact tumor type?
Are tumors present in the liver? If so, how many?
Ultrasound
CT
MRI
What is the exact tumor type?
The degree of change can only be determined by microscopic examination of cancer cells.
Understanding the extent of the change of the cells is important in therapy planning
A biopsy procedure takes a small sample of liver tissue to study under a microscope.
How to treat liver cancer?
Furthermore, patient age and general health plays an important role.
Depending on this, there are curative and palliative treatments.
Curative liver cancer treatment
Surgical procedures are used to remove parts of the liver that contain tumors.
Curative liver cancer treatment
Tumors can also be treated with ablation.
For this, a needle is inserted into the tumor and heat, or microwaves, are delivered through it to destroy the tumor.
Curative liver cancer treatment
The tumor is irradiated locally from the inside, which leads to the death of the tumor cells.
Palliative liver cancer treatment
If there is no prospect of cure, palliative therapy can slow the growth of the tumor as well as alleviate symptoms.
Special chemotherapies slow down tumor growth.
Painkillers and high-calorie foods reduce symptoms.
| Pain | Nausea | Further weight loss |
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| Chemotherapy | Painkillers | High-calorie foods |
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Prognosis of liver cancer
How can I prevent liver cancer?
- Hepatitis B
- Alcohol consumption
- Overweight
- Smoking
| Vaccinate against Hepatitis B virus |
Limit alcohol consumption |
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| Keep weight in a healthy range |
Quit smoking |
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Outcome of Thomas' Story
Thomas chooses surgical removal of the tumors.
Follow-up appointments have showed that the cancer is gone.
Healthier lifestyle now by:
Quitting smoking
Reducing alcohol
Exercising regularly
