Symptoms Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research Articles

Research advancement in the tumor biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of mortality due to malignancy next to gastric cancer and esophageal cancer. Several causal factors have been proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of HCC including regional and age difference, hepatitis virus, aflatoxin, chemicals, liver cirrhosis, and family heredity. Compared to the initial symptoms of HCC, the late symptoms are more obvious, which are liver pain, fatigue, emaciation, jaundice, and ascites. This paper summarized 30 biomarkers from organs, tissues, cells, and subcellular systems to be used for the diagnosis, detection, staging, and evaluation of the HCC so as to predict or prognoses diseases. The biomarker degrees of healthy people have a certain range of indicators. Pathological and clinical diagnostic methods are mainly used to detect various biomarkers related to HCC, such as the common detection of alpha-fetoprotein to detect HCC. Diverse indicators are determined by the modern technology so that we can explore and clarify the possible indicators associated with the pathogenesis of diseases in the organisms. In general, if one or more biomarkers are beyond the normal range, it would predict the presence of HCC in the body. Here, we try to provide a significant contribution toward clinical screening, prediction, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up monitoring of HCC and related diseases through elucidating the conception, production and influencing factors, sources, and biochemical indicator-associated tumor markers.

Solitary skull metastasis as the first symptom of hepatocellular carcinoma: case report and literature review.

Skull metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is reported rarely. In addition, solitary skull metastasis as the first symptom of HCC is reported even less. Here, we reported a case of solitary skull metastasis as the first symptom of HCC and reviewed the literature on skull metastasis. A 49-year-old male patient was admitted to Jinjiang Hospital of Quanzhou Medical College with a painless parietal-occipital scalp mass, and he denied any history of hepatic disease. A cranial computed tomography demonstrated a hypervascular enhancement with osteolytic change in the right parietal-occipital region, cranial magnetic resonance imaging indicated a highly enhanced and osteolytic skull tumor, and abdominal computed tomography showed a huge tumor in the liver. The other examinations showed no other metastases. Laboratory data showed no liver dysfunction while hepatitis B surface antigen was positive, and alpha fetal protein level was high. A craniectomy was performed and the mass was totally removed. The histological diagnosis was skull metastasis from HCC. The patient was subsequently treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. In a review of published literature, the incidence of skull metastasis from HCC in the period between 1990 and 2011 has significantly increased. The misdiagnosis rate of skull metastases as the first symptom from HCC was high. Therefore, it is necessary to give each patient with a scalp mass that has invaded the skull a liver ultrasound or computed tomography scan. On the other hand, we found that metastases that occurred in the calvaria site were more frequent than those that occurred in the skull base and facial skeleton. This may be worthy of further investigation in the future.

A Rare Occurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis to the Mandible: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer globally, with 626,000 new cases per year, and is the third leading cause of global cancer-related mortality, with 598,000 deaths per year. In the United States, HCC is the ninth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. From 2001 through 2006, 48,596 cases of HCC were reported in the United States according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The incidence f HCC is estimated to be 3 per 100,000 individuals, ith an expectation for increasing numbers in comng years because of the higher incidence of hepaitis C infection during the 1960s through the 990s. Distant metastasis has been reported in 10% to 20% of patients with HCC. Metastatic disease to the orofacial region, however, is a rare occurrence. The objective of this article was to review the relevant body of literature and report a clinical case of metastatic disease to the mandible as the initial presenting symptom of HCC in a 72-year-old man.

Abstract 4223: Possible usefulness of spirulina platensis for supression of some cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, multiple case study

Abstract Backgrownd and study aims; One of the most frequent carcinoma through the world is hepato cellular carcinoma (HCC). It is rapidly fatal with a life expectancy of about 6 months from the time of diagnosis. The disease is more prevalent in parts of Africa and Asia with a strong etiological association with viral hepatitis, haemochromatosis, known carcinogen and toxins. There are many therapeutic options for HCC including; surgical operations, chemotherapy, radiofrequency, immune therapy and gene therapy. The use of natural products as drugs is gaining increasing interest especially due to reduced side effects, if any. In this study, we followed up hepatic patients with HCC, taking hot water extract of sterilized blue green alga, spirulina platenesis. Seven volunteers with cirrhotic liver resulting from chronic viral C hepatitis that had developed HCC were followed up in this work. All available investigations including laboratory and imaging facilities were done before starting the study and repeated monthly for follow up during the study.Results; After 10-15 months, patients are still alive, showing an improvement in the general condition with an obvious regression of the tumor size as well as, better liver functions. Also no obvious side effects were detected during the study.Conclusion; These observations may direct our attentions towards the possibility that the “water extract of sterilized blue green algae; spirulina platenesis” may be of therapeutic value in treatment and/or amelioration of symptoms of hepato cellular carcinoma especially in cirrhotic patients. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4223. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4223

Symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma. Laboratory tests used for its diagnosis and screening

Early stage hepatocellular carcinoma is a symptom-free disease. Local and general symptoms occur due to the growth of the tumor tissue and the infiltration of the surrounding blood vessels. Illness progression is indicated by the development of abdominal discomfort, cachexia, therapy-resistant decompensation of previously compensated cirrhosis and in severe cases, the thrombosis of the portal vein or the hepatic veins. Characteristic laboratory findings are the quickly deteriorating blood and liver function tests results, the occurrence of haemostatic disorders and occasional hypoglycemia and/or hypercalcemia. To clarify the etiology and to identify high risk patients, we need to differentiate alcohol-, drug- or chemical-induced hepatic disorders, viral hepatitis B, C and Delta, metabolic disorders and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In the case of focal hepatic lesions, persistently elevated alfa fetoprotein levels have a high diagnostic value. At levels over 200 ng/ml, the positive predictive value is >90%. Other, less commonly measured biomarkers are the glycosilated alfa fetoprotein-L3 and the vitamin K-deficiency induced des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin. The risk of tumor occurrence is multiple in patients with HbeAg positive chronic hepatitis B if the virus is of genotype C with mutations in the 1762 and 1764 locations of the core promoter region. Abdominal ultrasound and measurement of alfa fetoprotein is recommended every 6 months for high risk individuals, or every 3-4 months over an 18-24 months period for patients with hepatic lesions of <1cm and of unknown malignancy.

Diagnostik des hepatozellulären Karzinoms

Risk factors and symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): The main risk factors of HCC include infection with hepatitis B or C virus, as well as alcohol consumption. There are no specific symptoms of HCC, making early diagnosis and detection of the disease difficult. When HCC presents with specific clinical symptoms, the tumour is typically very far advanced. Surveillance in liver cirrhosis: The most common serological marker used in HCC diagnosis is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), but other tumour markers such as the des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DGCP) or fractions of AFP (AFP-L3) exist and there use is discussed in this context. Surveillance should be done by sonography at 6 (to 12) months intervals. The single nodule in the cirrhotic liver: Ultrasound is the most commonly used imaging modality for detecting HCC tumour nodules with a large range of reported sensitivities. HCC may appear as a hypoechoic, isoechoic, or hyperechoic round or oval lesion with intratumoural flow signals on Doppler or power Doppler sonography. The differentiation of smaller malignant lesions in cirrhotic livers can be improved by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Spiral computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with and without contrast enhancement play an important role in the diagnosis and staging of HCC. If the vascular pattern on imaging is not typical, biopsy becomes necessary. The patient with known HCC: Different tumour markers are used in the evaluation of tumour progression, prediction of patient outcome and treatment efficacy. Among the various staging systems used in the context of HCC, the Barcelona-Clinic-Liver-Cancer (BCLC) staging system is currently the only staging system that takes into account tumour stage, liver function, physical status and cancer-related symptoms. Beside surgical resection, non-surgical treatments such as percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), radiofrequency thermoablation (RFTA) and trans-arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) are used. Successful tumour "bridging" with ablative therapy methods can be achieved in carefully selected patients on the waiting list for orthotopic liver transplantation. Contrast-enhanced sonography is able to control the ablation treatment of HCC.

Chronic Diarrhea as First Manifestation of Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocarcinoma in a Teenager

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare in children, accounting for approximately 0.5% of all pediatric malignances (1). It is the second most common hepatic malignancy in children after hepatoblastoma, with an incidence of 0.5% to 1.0% cases per million (2). HCC is closely associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and occurs mainly in adults between 40 and 60 years of age (3Y5). However, HCC may develop in children who live in hyperendemic areas as a consequence of vertical or horizontal HBV transmission (6). With the introduction of HBV vaccination programs, the incidence of HCC has declined markedly in many countries (3,5,7). In Brazil, the vaccination program began in 1990. Thus, there is still a sizable number of people with chronic HBV infection. The symptoms of HCC are usually those of chronic liver disease and are generally nonspecific (8). Chronic diarrhea has been described as one manifestation of liver cirrhosis and HCC. Its pathogenesis is poorly understood and probably multifactorial. This report describes a patient with cirrhosis and HCC who presented with chronic diarrhea. Possible mechanisms leading to diarrhea are discussed.

Solitary Liver Mass Detected by Transesophageal Echocardiography

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has become a mainstay of cardiac surgery in the diagnosis of intracardiac and vascular lesions adjacent to the esophagus. In this case, we detected a liver mass during intraoperative TEE examination in a patient undergoing elective cardiac valve surgery. Preoperatively, the patient had normal liver function tests and no symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma. This mass was diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma after the surgery and treated with transarterial chemoembolization. In conclusion, this case report outlines another potential application of intraoperative TEE extending its role outside the realm of cardiac surgery. A liver mass was detected during intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) examination in a patient undergoing cardiac valve surgery. This incidental finding permitted the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, and demonstrates another potential utility of TEE.

The triad of hemochromatosis, hepatoma and erythrocytosis

The triad of hemochromatosis, hepatoma and erythrocytosis is a rare combination. Hemochromatosis is often not recognized until the patient presents with the symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma and erythrocytosis, and the development of erythrocytosis is an important clue to the under-lying hepatoma. The high serum iron concentration and the high saturation of the iron-binding protein, as well as the typical bone marrow hemosiderin pattern, are important aids in the recognition of hemochromatosis. To date, all patients with this triad have been elderly males. The clinical course is usually one of rapid deterioration and death. The seven previously reported cases have been reviewed and the relationship of the erythrocytosis to the increased production of erythropoietin is discussed.