A 35-year-old member asked:
is cirrhosis of the liver cancer?
2 doctor answers
Dr. Liawaty Ho answered
22 years experience Hematology and Oncology
No it is not: Cirrhosis is not cancer.It is caused by chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by scar tissue and regenerative nodules leading to loss of liver function. You are at risk to develop liver cancer if you have liver cirrhosis.
Answered on May 2, 2019
Dr. Umut Sarpel answered
19 years experience Surgical Oncology
No, but raises risk: Cirrhosis describes the scarring that occurs when the liver has been damaged by hepatitis or alcohol use. Cirrhosis is not cancer, but it is a strong risk factor for the development of liver cancer. In fact, any person with cirrhosis should undergo regular screening to detect the development of cancer. Guidelines recommend a liver ultrasound every 6 months in patients with cirrhosis.
Answered on Apr 17, 2019
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Dr. Vivek Huilgol commented
34 years experience Gastroenterology
The above is often supplemented by a blood test called AFP. BUT - this must be interpreted by someone who understands that negative screening tests are not perfect...
Sep 16, 2013
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A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Andrew Turrisi answered
46 years experience Radiation Oncology
Cirrhosis of: The liver is not cancer, but predisposed to primary liver cancer, regardless of cause of the cirrhosis (not all is alcohol).
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Luke Hermann answered
24 years experience Emergency Medicine
Depends: It depends on what caused the cirrhosis but all patients with a severely damaged liver are at increased risk to develop liver cancer- roughly 2% chanc ... Read More
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A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Stuart Sherman answered
43 years experience Gastroenterology
Many: There are many causes of cirrhosis ranging from infection (eg viral hepatitis), to primary liver diseases (eg primary biliary cirrhosis) to genetic ca ... Read More
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A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Sidney Vinson answered
26 years experience Gastroenterology
See below: Cirrhosis is the replacement of normal tissues in the liver with scar tissue. This affects the functioning of the liver. Liver cancer is when cells ... Read More
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