The cancerous tumors in the liver are termed as cholangioclastic carcinomas
The liver produces bilirubin, a yellowish digestive juice which is carried by the liver in a special system of small channels called the biliary tracts. Inflammatory tumors that arise in the liver are known as intrahepatic cholediocarcinomas. Cholangioclastic cancer is the third most common malignant form in liver.
The tumor generally occurs in the liver of people with various liver disorders. These conditions include hepatitis https://cth.co.th/hepatitis/, renal failure, and cirrhosis. The main characteristic feature of the disease is that it usually starts in the upper layer of the liver. Generally, tumors in the hepatic artery (large artery that connects the liver to the brain) or the hepatic vein (small vessel that carries bilirubin into the liver) are the first ones to occur. If they occur too early, the tumors can be treated and cured within a few months.
In the later stages of the cancer, the tumors can appear anywhere in the body, and in some instances, it may even spread to the lungs. The first signs and symptoms of this disease are usually pain in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and fever. Patients who have liver cancer are at risk of developing liver tumors if they have an inherited tendency for developing hepatic disorder like hereditary jaundice and hepatitis. However, cholangioclastic carcinoma is not inherited.
Patients with this type of cancer may suffer from weakness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, abdominal pains and skin rashes. The liver may swell due to fluid retention. If left untreated, the condition may progress, and the patient may develop liver failure. Cholangiocarcine carcinoma is often referred to as primary biliary cirrhosis because, at the beginning, the cancer is very rare and the symptoms do not resemble those of other forms of biliary diseases like jaundice.
Patients diagnosed with this form of cancer may require dialysis or liver transplant if they do not respond well to conventional treatment options. Surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy have been used for this condition. The treatments used depend on the stage of the cancer.
Chemotherapy consists of treatment using either of drugs like fluorouracil (CBr), carboplatin (Isotretinoin) or tamoxifen (Anastrozole). Radiation therapy is used for patients with advanced stages where the tumors are large, and they cannot be removed surgically.
Radiation therapy causes changes in the DNA structure of the tumor cells
Because of the high dosage and high frequency of the radiation, it has side effects like radiation sickness and cancer after a period of time.
Surgical treatment involves removal of the tumor with or without excision or by surgical techniques including surgery, palliative chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Surgery and palliative chemotherapy are used in patients with small tumors. Surgical techniques include laparoscopic surgery, radio surgery, laser surgery and surgical excision.
Radiation therapy can cause side effects like skin cancer, lung cancer, leukemia and bone cancer. Chemotherapy also leads to skin cancer and skin cancers are more prevalent with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is generally used for patients who have recurrent Cholangiocarcinoma with a high risk of recurrence.
Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells that have already spread from one part of the body to another. There are two methods of delivering ionizing radiation: external and internal. Internal therapy uses x-ray and high-energy beams. External therapy is delivered by a high-frequency magnetic pulse.
External therapy usually takes 6 weeks or more to give complete results but some people will not respond to this kind of therapy. If the cancer cells have spread to a certain part of the body, surgery and/or chemotherapy may be needed for long-term treatment. Some cancers like breast, cervical, lung, colon, or pancreas can be treated using chemotherapy and surgery.
Chemotherapy may lead to increased risks of side effects and death. Chemotherapy is used only as a last resort to relieve the symptoms of Cholangiocarcinoma and to prevent cancer recurrence.
