Breast cancer and Liver cancer awareness month
The aim of this month is to provide an insight into liver cancer and breast cancer, their causes, risk factors, symptoms and treatment.
Week 1 and Day 1 - What is breast cancer?
Week 1 and Day 2 - What is liver cancer?
Week 2 Day 1 What are the main types of breast cancer?
Week 3 Day 2 What are the rare types of breast cancer?
Week 3 Day 3 What are the types of liver cancer and how is it developed?
Cancer of the liver is developed when there is an error in how the growth of cells are regulated in the liver and its surroundings: blood vessels or the bile duct.
Benign cancers do not spread beyond its site of origin and surrounding tissues. Examples include Hemangiomas that occurs in the liver and is filled with blood. Adenomas that occur in the cells of the liver called hepatocytes. Focal nodular hyperplasia occurs in several types of hepatocytes.
Malignant cancers of the liver does affect surrounding tissues and organs beyond the liver via the blood and lymph. Hemangiosarcomas are malignant blood-filled tumours.
Primary liver cancer originally starts in the liver. For example, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arises from the hepatocytes. It is a common form and can also rise from the bile ducts within the liver (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas) or from the liver (extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas).
Secondary liver cancer starts in another organ and is spread to the liver.
Rare cancers of the liver include fibrolamellar liver cancer that occurs in adolescent/teenagers. Patients with this form have no history of liver disease. Hepatoblastoma is another rare cancer of the liver and is developed at a young age.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is part of the development of liver cancer and occurs in people who are overweight or obese. There is a build up of fat in the liver and this can be caused when there is a disorder of blood sugar levels. Patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) a form of fatty liver disease develop cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is where hepatocytes become damaged and are replaced by scar tissue called fibrosis. They have an increased risk of liver cancer.
Benign cancers do not spread beyond its site of origin and surrounding tissues. Examples include Hemangiomas that occurs in the liver and is filled with blood. Adenomas that occur in the cells of the liver called hepatocytes. Focal nodular hyperplasia occurs in several types of hepatocytes.
Malignant cancers of the liver does affect surrounding tissues and organs beyond the liver via the blood and lymph. Hemangiosarcomas are malignant blood-filled tumours.
Primary liver cancer originally starts in the liver. For example, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arises from the hepatocytes. It is a common form and can also rise from the bile ducts within the liver (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas) or from the liver (extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas).
Secondary liver cancer starts in another organ and is spread to the liver.
Rare cancers of the liver include fibrolamellar liver cancer that occurs in adolescent/teenagers. Patients with this form have no history of liver disease. Hepatoblastoma is another rare cancer of the liver and is developed at a young age.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is part of the development of liver cancer and occurs in people who are overweight or obese. There is a build up of fat in the liver and this can be caused when there is a disorder of blood sugar levels. Patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) a form of fatty liver disease develop cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is where hepatocytes become damaged and are replaced by scar tissue called fibrosis. They have an increased risk of liver cancer.
Week 4 Day 2 Signs and symptoms of breast cancer
What are the signs and symptoms of breast cancer?