About the liver The liver is the largest organ inside the body.

It lies under your right ribs, just below the right lung. The liver is shaped like a pyramid and is divided into right and left lobes.

It filters out and breaks down toxic wastes in the blood, which are then removed from the body.

September is Liver Cancer Awareness Month in the Philippines If September is Ovarian Cancer Month in the US, here in the Philippines, September has been declared Liver Cancer month by the Philippine government. This event aims to raise public consciousness about this illness that has an unusually high incidence in our country. Liver cancer is only the eighth most common form of cancer worldwide, but in the Philippines, Department of Health (DOH) and Philippine Cancer Society statistics show that it is the third most common form of cancer among men and sixth among women. Liver cancer or hepatic cancer (from the Greek hpar, meaning liver) is a cancer that originates in the liver. Liver cancers are malignant tumors that grow on the surface or inside the liver. Liver tumors are discovered on medical imaging equipment (often by accident) or present themselves symptomatically as an abdominal mass, abdominal pain, jaundice, nausea or liver dysfunction.

Unlike most other organs, the liver gets blood from 2 sources. The hepatic artery supplies the liver with blood that is rich in oxygen. The portal vein carries nutrient-rich blood from the intestines to the liver. You cannot live without your liver. It has many vital jobs:

It breaks down and stores many of the nutrients absorbed from the intestine. It makes some of the clotting factors needed to stop bleeding from a cut or injury. It makes bile that goes into the intestine to help absorb nutrients.

Incidence and mortality According to DOH, Liver cancer is the 3rd leading sites for both sexes. It rank 2nd among males and 9th among females. In 1998, an estimated 5,249 new cases, 3,906 cases in males and 1,343 cases in females, and about 4,403 deaths are expected to occur every year. The incidence in males is practically 2 that of females. Incidence increases at age 40.

Get the Hepatitis B Vaccine for You and Your Children. Practice Safe Sex. Don't Share Needles. Quit Smoking.

Liver Cancer Treatment How liver cancer is treated differs, depending on the stage of the disease. Some treatment plans may include standard treatments, such as chemotherapy, while some plans will include clinical trials of new drugs and treatment methods. There are a couple of different options for treating liver cancer surgically. These options include: Partial hepatectomy: A partial hepatectomy is the surgical removal of the cancerous part of the liver. Liver transplant: In this procedure, the diseased liver is removed and is replaced with a part or entire healthy liver. Radiofrequency ablation: This is the use of a probe that has tiny electrodes that destroy cancer cells.

Risk Factors: Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C infection Heavy alcohol consumption and smoking Prolonged heavy intake of aflatoxin and other chemical carcinogens.

Signs and Symptoms: Abdominal mass Abdominal pain Emesis Anemia Back pain Jaundice Itching Weight loss Fever

Liver Cancer Prevention Watch Your Alcohol Intake.