Finding out the stages of liver cancer can help those who happen to be abusing their liver through the excesses of drinking or steroids. Alcohol is a poison and the liver is an organ that filters poisons from the body. Let’s take a look a the stages of liver cancer and see what we can learn.
The stages of liver cancer are divided up into four categories. The following stages are representative of adult liver cancer and should not be used for youths. The first stage is stage I and is determined by having a single cancer tumor in the liver. This tumor is only in the liver and has not spread to other nearby places, including blood vessels. This is the first attack and the first of the stages of liver cancer. If a person has cirrhosis of the liver, this can lead into liver cancer later on. This is a good reason not to abuse the liver by excessive drinking of alcohol.
The second stage in the stages of liver cancer has a few different qualities. The first quality is that the cancer tumor will have spread to the nearby blood vessels, but not invaded outside the liver. The other characteristic of this stage II liver cancer is that it can involve more than one tumor, but none of them may exceed five centimeters in size. Two centimeters is close to one inch. If the cancer tumor expands or metastasizes into other organs nearby this is no longer an attribute of stage II liver cancer, but has advanced into the next stage of liver cancer.
Stage III liver cancer is an advanced stage of liver cancer and involves some important dynamics. If the cancer has produced more than one tumor that is over five centimeters or has one tumor spreading into large blood vessels near the liver, this is stage III liver cancer. In fact, stage III is divided into three categories, A, B, and C. The “A” category was just described. The “B” category is important in that the liver cancer has spread into organs close by, except for the gallbladder. If the cancer has broken through the peritoneum, ( the lining of the abdomen ) this is also called stage IIIb liver cancer. For stage IIIc liver cancer, the lymph nodes are invaded.
The last and most dangerous stage in the stages of liver cancer is stage IV. This stage is simplified in that the cancer is now a full blown cancer and has spread to distant areas. The cancer is well beyond the liver now and can be in the bones or other places. Some other stages of liver cancer for adults are described by the medical industry. These are localized resectable ( removable ), localized unresectable, locally advanced unresectable, and the advanced level. These other names are simply other ways to describe the stages that you have already just read about.
Do all you can to prevent going through any stages of liver cancer by watching your health closely. If you are an alcoholic, do your utmost to stop your habit of drinking excessively. Your liver will thank you for it.