Liver Cancer Treatment in Utah

The liver is the largest organ in the body. It plays important roles in many processes, including digestion and blood clotting. Cancer of the liver is one of the most rapidly increasing types of cancer in the United States.

Liver Cancer Symptoms:

Liver cancer usually does not cause symptoms in the early stages. When it does have symptoms, they vary from person to person. As the tumor grows, it may cause:

• Weight loss
• Pain in the right side of the upper abdomen or around the right shoulder blade
• Loss of appetite
• Swelling or bloating in the abdomen
• Hard lump below the ribs on the right side
• Tiredness or weakness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fever
• Jaundice, which causes yellow skin and eyes, and dark urine
• Feeling of fullness after a small meal
• Itching
• Swollen veins on the abdomen
• Becoming sicker if you have hepatitis or cirrhosis

Certain types of liver cancer produce hormones that may cause:

• High blood-calcium levels that may cause constipation, nausea or confusion’
• Low blood-sugar levels that may cause tiredness or faint feeling
• Enlarged breasts or shrinking of testicles in men
• High red-blood cell count that may cause redness in the face

These symptoms do not always mean you have liver cancer. However, it is important to discuss any symptoms with your doctor, since they may signal other health problems.

Liver Cancer Treatment Options:

At Utah Cancer Specialists, some of the world’s leading liver cancer experts concentrate extraordinary expertise on you. Your care is personalized to deliver the most advanced therapies with the least impact on your body.

• Surgery is the most common treatment for liver cancer.
• Radiation therapy uses focused, high-energy photon beams to destroy cancer cells.
• Proton therapy delivers high radiation doses directly to the liver cancer tumor site, with no damage to nearby healthy tissue.
• Chemotherapy works by killing fast-growing cells, including cancer cells.