Is liver cirrhosis a cancer or not? We will examine in more detail in this matter.
Hearing the diagnosis of cirrhosis, many perceive it as a sentence. This is due to the fact that often this disease is mistaken for liver cancer. Is this true? Cirrhosis is a severe pathology characterized by irreversible replacement of liver tissue with a stroma (connective tissue of the body). In this case, scar tissue is formed, a pathological change in the structure of the organ is observed, which loses its functional abilities. Hepatic cells begin to die, the liver stops working properly, there is an absolute destruction of its structure. Cirrhosis often leads to death, but this is not an oncological disease, although malignant tumors can also completely destroy this organ.
So, let us consider in more detail diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. What is the difference between the two?
The mechanism of development of pathological processes
Oncology and cirrhosis have a large number of identical symptoms, which is why these pathologies are often perceived as one. With liver cancer, a pathological change in the cells occurs, accompanied by the formation of a malignant tumor. With cirrhosis, the mechanism of the development of the pathological process is characterized by a change in tissue cells with fibrous regions and connective tissue. This is the main difference between these diseases.
Many people wonder if liver cirrhosis is cancer or not.
The causes of both pathologies
The main reason for the development of liver cancer is cirrhosis, any kind of hepatitis, the presence of viral infections in the body, excessive accumulation of iron in it (hemochromatosis).
Causes of liver cirrhosis are a variety of intoxications, virus infections (including those obtained by injection), biliary tract disease, alcoholism.
So, is cirrhosis and liver cancer the same thing?
General symptoms
Indeed, these diseases, as already mentioned, are very similar to each other in terms of common signs and manifestations. Common symptoms for cancer and cirrhosis are:
- decreased appetite;
- stool disorders (diarrhea / constipation);
- constant feeling a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen;
- memory impairment;
- decreased attention span;
- weakness, general malaise, muscle aches;
- the development of internal bleeding,
- itching and skin rashes;
- change in the shade of the skin (yellowness).
The similarity of these pathological processes is observed not only when characteristic symptoms occur, but this also applies to the mechanism of development of pathologies, as well as the factors that provoked their occurrence. Nevertheless, despite the large number of similar symptoms, these diseases can not be attributed to a single group. Cirrhosis does not belong to the category of oncological pathologies, however, many clinicians claim that this disease is one of the main reasons for the development of oncological transformation of the liver.
The similarities in symptoms of cirrhosis and liver cancer make diagnosis difficult. At the initial stages, the specialist, as a rule, makes a preliminary diagnosis. More reliable information can be obtained after laboratory blood tests to determine the presence of tumor markers and obtain data after studying the biomaterial taken for examination by liver biopsy.
In addition, the specialist must pay special attention to the patient's history. A complete list of the main symptoms of the pathological process should be identified, since malignant diseases have specific distinctive features of the manifestation that are not characteristic of other diseases, including cirrhosis. In addition, the doctor should study the general picture of the development of the disease in a particular patient and related changes in the body.
Liver cirrhosis - is it cancer or not, not everyone knows.
Distinctive features and diagnostic techniques
It is quite difficult to distinguish liver cancer from cirrhosis. Nevertheless, there are a number of specific signs that are not characteristic of cirrhosis, but quite characteristic of the malignant process:
- pronounced weight loss is one of the most common signs of cancer, regardless of the zone of its localization;
- nausea that occurs regardless of the meal time;
- fever;
- severe abdominal pain;
- sharp pains in the back and shoulders (one of the most pronounced symptoms of oncology that occurs in any form);
- peritonitis.
The primary stage of liver cancer is called hepatocellular carcinoma. This tumor is formed from the hepatic parenchyma and is located, as a rule, in the widest part of the liver. Despite the fact that the oncological tumor is quite large (in diameter it can reach 4 cm or more), it is extremely rare to find it with laparoscopic examinations.
Suspicion of the formation of a malignant tumor in a specialist may occur during an ultrasound examination of an organ. Ultrasound clearly shows the enlargement of the liver in size, while its structure is uneven and dense.
An oncological tumor of the liver has the property of rapidly spreading metastases that penetrate the respiratory organs, bone tissue, and adrenal glands. Moreover, pathological blood clots form in the veins, which causes internal bleeding (most often they occur in the intestines or stomach). The patient has leukocytosis, that is, an excess of white blood cells is found in the blood, which provokes the development of cardinal changes in the composition of the blood.
The main danger arises when the node of the oncological tumor bursts. This provokes the development of profuse hemorrhage in the abdominal cavity. If the patient is not provided with qualified medical care on time, the result can be fatal.
It is important to understand the difference between cirrhosis and liver cancer.
For diagnosis, the patient is sent for diagnostic studies:
- biochemical and general blood test;
- analysis for the identification of tumor markers;
- urinalysis;
- Magnetic resonance imaging;
- ultrasonography;
- liver biopsy;
- CT scan.
The results of diagnostic data will allow the specialist to accurately differentiate the tumor and study its structure, shape, stage of progression. It also helps to determine the focus of the inflammatory process and the prevalence of metastases. Based on the results, a decision is made on therapeutic measures.
What is the treatment for liver cancer and cirrhosis?
Differences in treatment procedures
Are there any differences in the therapeutic methods used for cirrhosis and liver cancer? There are, and significant. With cirrhosis, the patient is prescribed a drug course, which includes hepatoprotectors for the regeneration of organ cells, and the dietary rules must also be strictly observed.
With an oncological disease, diet and medications are no longer able to provide the necessary positive effect. Ancillary therapy can be carried out in order to eliminate severe pain and maintain the body's vital activity, however, the main role in the treatment is given to surgery and chemotherapy.
Does cirrhosis turn into cancer?
Science has proven that cirrhosis can trigger cancer. Oncology is considered a consequence of cirrhosis, which is capable of pathologically changing liver cells. Most often, malignant tumors appear with cirrhosis of the small-node type and with alcoholic cirrhosis. According to clinical data, liver cancer with cirrhosis develops quite quickly. This takes approximately 4-5 years.
Forecast
The prognosis of both diseases is disappointing - regardless of the stage at which the cancer was detected, it is almost useless to fight it. The disease progresses extremely rapidly, and even chemotherapy in such a case becomes ineffective. Only 90% of patients live with this diagnosis for no more than a year. With cirrhosis, the prognosis is more favorable, but this disease is also incurable. If you do not take appropriate therapeutic measures, the life expectancy with a similar diagnosis will be no more than five years. If the patient performs therapeutic measures, according to the recommendations of doctors, this period increases several times.
Risk factors
Factors that trigger the transition of cirrhosis to cancer:
- chronic hepatitis;
- alcohol abuse;
- gallstone disease in the acute stage;
- peritonitis;
- taking drugs through intravenous administration;
- uncontrolled use of medications, which contributes to the development of intoxication of the body and the destruction of liver structures.
In addition, pathological changes in the patient’s metabolic processes, as well as operations on nearby organs, increase the likelihood of cirrhosis becoming an oncology.
Cirrhosis is the start for pathological disorders in the structure of liver cells, which ultimately can provoke the development of the oncological process. Such changes are irreversible.
Reviews
There are many reviews of these diseases, and patients who suffer from them, as a rule, clearly distinguish between these two diagnoses, due to their awareness of the characteristics of the disease. According to them, cirrhosis is a prerequisite for the development of cancer, and many of them have observed just such a process. The rest are engaged in the treatment of this pathological condition and take all necessary measures so that cirrhosis of the liver does not transform into an oncological disease.
The article describes in detail whether liver cirrhosis is cancer or not.