Question 1

hi, my girlfriend has liver cancer and the past week she has been in constant agonizing pain that medicine doesn't help. how do you stop the pain?

Accepted Answer

Pain management.: This is terrible and heartbreaking question.  We are very sorry to hear of your friend's plight. The doctors who are managing her care need to know the level of her pain so that they can manage it better. Ask her doctors to bring a Pain Management doc to the team. Unfortunately we cannot prescribe pain meds via HealthTap. Please give your friend our best wishes that her cancer is cured.

Question 2

could you tell me how much drinking / drugs would cause liver cancer for someone who has a family history?

Accepted Answer

Keep clear of toxins: Livers are great at surviving insults like drugs and alcohol (in moderation).  Liver cancer usually happens when you have hepatitis or cirrhosis.  Some folks drink a lot and never get cirrhosis, others can't.  If you have true liver cancer (a tumor that starts in the liver) in your family, you could be prone to liver damage in a number of ways so stay clear of drugs and alcohol.

Question 3

can liver cancer be found in simply taking a drug test? or do you need an ultrasound

Accepted Answer

Biopsy: A blood test of alpha feto-protein may help, but imaging studies and a biopsy are needed for definitive diagnosis.

Question 4

can long term bulimia cause liver cancer? my mom has a 90% chance of liver cancer but hates alcohol has never drank or abused any drugs but pukes alot

Accepted Answer

NO: Liver cancer associated with many other conditions ( ie. Hep C, heavy metal ingestion, etc.) but no relation to bulimia,  Liver failure can cause emesis.

Question 5

is liver cancer painful?

Accepted Answer

Not usually: Liver cancer is usually not painful. The condition that leads to liver cancer (chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis) can cause vague pain in the right upper quadrant of the belly.  Most liver cancer is picked up in asymptomatic patients by lab tests or by scans. Occasionally a patient will have painless yellowing of the skin due to liver cancer.

Question 6

symptoms of liver cancer?

Accepted Answer

Varies : Most of the time there will be no symptoms until cancer becomes big enough to cause problems. U may turn yellow along w really dark urine, fatigue, swollen abdomen, legs etc....

Question 7

is liver cancer hereditary?

Accepted Answer

It can be: Many factors can increase one's risk for primary liver cancer including: chronic infection with hepatitis b or c virus, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, heavy alcohol use, obesity, exposure to certain toxins, and inherited liver diseases that can lead to cirrhosis such as hemochromatosis, wilson's disease, tyrosinemia, Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, glycogen, and porphyria.

Question 8

how common is liver cancer?

Accepted Answer

Depends on geography: And cancer type.  Primary liver cancer is not common in the usa, but it is the most frequent cancer in areas with high prevalence of hepatitis b infection.  If metastatic liver cancers are included, then liver cancer is common even in the usa.

Question 9

what exactly is liver cancer?

Accepted Answer

Tumor mass: Liver involved with different malignancies.  A liver cancer should be related to  cancer arising in liver cells and not cells that have spread to  the liver from  different forms of cancer.  A primary liver tumor can arise from  hepatitis B and C with induction thru a cirrhotic process.  Other causes are from blood vessel lesions, and various primary sarcomas as well as tumors arising in bile duct

Question 10

what is stage 5 liver cancer?

Accepted Answer

There are only 4 : Cancer is generally divided into five stages, from stage 0, in which the presence of irregular or cancer cells are known, to stage iv, in which the cancer has spread to one or several other parts of the body. The higher the number of cancer staging, the more difficult the cancer is to treat due to the progression and spread of cancer cells. According to the national comprehensive cancer network, .

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Doctor answers about:

Medicine for liver cancer

A member asked:

Hi, my girlfriend has liver cancer and the past week she has been in constant agonizing pain that medicine doesn't help. how do you stop the pain?

A member asked:

Could you tell me how much drinking / drugs would cause liver cancer for someone who has a family history?

A member asked:

Can liver cancer be found in simply taking a drug test? or do you need an ultrasound

A member asked:

Can long term bulimia cause liver cancer? my mom has a 90% chance of liver cancer but hates alcohol has never drank or abused any drugs but pukes alot

A member asked:

Is liver cancer painful?

A member asked:

Symptoms of liver cancer?

A member asked:

Is liver cancer hereditary?

A member asked:

How common is liver cancer?

A member asked:

What exactly is liver cancer?

A member asked:

What is stage 5 liver cancer?

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