Liver cancer has been identified as one of the fatal cancers affecting the human body. It often kills those affected within a year. Primarily, it affects the liver, which is one of the vital organs in the human body serving functions such as bile production and excretion, metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates and iron homeostasis among others (Colvin & Mitchell, 2010). Liver cancer inhibits the liver’s function as a hub for metabolic recreations that maintains homeostatic balance during development and growth.
All cancers follow the same path in which normal cells go wrong and fail to respond to DNA signals that control their cellular growth and death. Similar in all cancers, cells develop within tissues, grow, and divide rapidly (Nio, Yamashita, & Kaneko, 2017). Liver cancer is caused by DNA mutations in the liver cells. DNA holds the instructions for all chemical processes that occur within the body. Tumor development in the liver is attributed to both stochastic genetic, epigenetic changes and response to extrinsic environmental differences. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are developed through transformation of progenitor cells. They can also come from other cancer-affected parts of the body.
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CSCs cause changes in DNA instructions leading cells to grow exponentially leading to the formation of a mass of cancer cells referred to as a tumor. Liver cancer causes scarring of the liver through cirrhosis. CSCs have different characteristics from normal cells such as they never stop growing compared to normal cells, which stop growing when the intended function is completed. Normal cells are repaired or die over time while liver cancer cells do not undergo apoptosis.
Liver CSCs have the ability to metastasize to other parts of the body due to their lack of adhesion molecules found in normal cells. They are able to detach from the liver and travel to other parts of the body. Stage I liver cancer occurs at the cellular level through exponential growth and division causing tumor development. Stage II liver cancer grows into blood vessels leading to transmission into other parts of the body (Colvin & Mitchell, 2010). In Stage III, the tumor starts growing into nearby lymph nodes and branches of the portal vein and the hepatic vein. In stage IV, the CSCs invade nearbylymph nodes, blood vessels, and organs such as the pancreas and stomach. At this stage, tumor sizes are too large to eradicate using conventional treatments, therefore reducing patient survival rates due to multiple organ failure.
Advanced liver cancer tends to cause extensive damage to the lungs and bones. Liver cancer cells affect homeostatic indirectly. The CSCs rapid of growth demands more nutrition and oxygen hence more competition with normal cells (Nio et al., 2017). Eventually, normal liver cells are starved to death affecting their metabolism and transportation functions. The presence of liver cancer cells regulates the self-regenerating abilities of the liver, regulation of insulin and metabolism of body fats.
A variety of treatment options exist for liver cancer including liver transplants, tumor ablation, radiation, chemotherapy, embolization, and immunotherapy. Surgery is done by removal of the part affected by the tumor or through a complete liver transplant. It can be applied in Stage I of the cancer. Ablation treatment destroys small liver tumors using radio waves, freezing the tumor and pouring alcohol on the tumor (Colvin & Mitchell, 2010). Embolization is used for tumors that are too large for ablation and applicable in stage II and III. Radiation treatment kills the tumor through directing external beam radiation from x-rays to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is delivered in a number of cycles depending on the cancer stage. It involves the injection of drugs to keep the cancer cells from growing. Drugs are delivered through the hepatic artery, reducing blood flow to the tutor thus killing the cells. Radiation and chemotherapy treatment is applicable at stage II, III, and prolongs life at stage IV.
Developing healthy lifestyle measures can reduce the risks of liver cancer. Individuals should avoid infections with the hepatitis B and C viruses. Both viruses often lead to development of cirrhosis within the liver. Limiting alcohol consumption and tobacco use can also protect one from liver cancer. Alcohol has been identified as the most common cause of cirrhosis. Other prevention measures include exercising and maintaining healthy weight and eating a healthy diet (ACS, 2019). Liver cancer is similar to other cancer types in aspects such as increased cell reproduction, which leads to development of tumors on the surface of the liver. Liver CSCs are different from other cancer types in that they do not travel deep within the body. They mostly affect adjacent organs such as the lungs and the bones.
References
ACS. (2019, April 1). Liver Cancer . Retrieved from American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/liver-cancer/if-you-have-liver-cancer.html
Colvin, H., & Mitchell, A. (2010). Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C . National Academies Press.
Nao, K., Yamashita, T., & Kaneko, S. (2017). The evolving concept of liver cancer stem cells. BMC Journals , 16(4), 1-12. doi: 10.1186/s12943-016-0572-9
