September 13, 2012

Diagnosis of Liver Cancer


Blood Test
Liver cancer is not diagnosed by routine blood test, which is a standard panel of liver tests. Diagnosis of liver cancer depends so much on the vigilance of a doctor that filters with a tumor marker (alpha-fetoprotein) in the blood and imaging studies (imaging) of radiology. Because most patients with liver cancer-related liver disease (cirrhosis), liver blood tests they probably are not normal to begin with. If these blood tests become abnormal or worsen due to liver cancer, it usually marks the extensive involvement of liver cancer. At that time, any medical treatment or surgery may be too late.

Sometimes, however, other abnormal blood tests may indicate the presence of liver cancer. Remember that each type of cell in the body contains a full complement of genetic information. What distinguishes one cell type from another is the particular set of genes that are turned on or turned off in that cell. When cells become cancerous, certain of which genes are turned off the cell becomes turned on. Thus, in liver cancer, liver cells that are cancerous may take the characteristics of the types of other cells. For example, liver cancer cells sometimes can produce hormones that are normally produced in other body systems. These hormones then can cause certain abnormal blood tests, such as a high red blood count (erythrocytosis), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood calcium (hypercalcemia).
Other abnormal blood tests, high serum cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), seen in up to 10% of African patients with cancer of the liver. High cholesterol occurs because the liver cancer cells are not able to turn off (inhibit) their production of cholesterol. (Normal cells are able to turn off their production of cholesterol).
There are no screening blood tests that can be trusted or accurate for liver cancer. Biochemical blood tests most widely used is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which is a protein normally produced by liver cells in the immature fetus (fetus). At birth, infants have relatively high levels of AFP, which dropped to normal adult levels in the first year of life. Also, pregnant women containing babies with neural vascular damage may have AFP levels are high. (A vessel nerve damage is a fetal brain or bone marrow abnormalities caused by folic acid deficiency during pregnancy.)
In adults, blood levels are high (greater than 500 nanograms / milliliter) of AFP are seen in only three situations:
• Liver Cancer
• Cells of seed tumors (cancer of the testicles fruits and ovaries)
• Metastatic Cancer of the liver (derived from other organs)
Several assays (tests) for measuring AFP are available. Generally, a normal AFP level was below 10 ng / ml. Moderate levels AFP (even almost up to 500 ng / ml) can be seen in patients with chronic hepatitis. Moreover, many patients with various types of acute and chronic liver disease without liver cancer that can be documented may have a mild increase in AFP or even moderate.
The sensitivity of AFP for liver cancer about 60%. In other words, an elevated AFP blood test seen in approximately 60% of patients with liver cancer. That leaves 40% of patients with liver cancer who have normal AFP levels. Therefore, a normal AFP does not negate the liver cancer. Also, as noted above, an abnormal AFP does not mean that a patient suffering from liver cancer. It is important to note, however, that patients with cirrhosis and an abnormal AFP, although no documented liver cancer, remains at high risk of developing liver cancer. Thus, all patients with cirrhosis and an elevated AFP, particularly with a steady increase in blood levels, most likely to develop liver cancer or have actually had a liver cancer was not found.
An AFP greater than 500 ng / ml is highly suggestive of liver cancer. In fact, blood levels of freely relate to the size of liver cancer. Finally, in patients with liver cancer and abnormal levels of AFP, AFP may be used as a marker (marker) response to treatment. For example, an elevated AFP is expected to fall to normal in a patient that his cancer successfully removed surgically (resected).
There are a number of other HCC tumor markers that currently are research tools and not generally available. These include des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP), a variant of the enzymes gamma-glutamyltransferase, and variants of other enzymes (eg, alpha-L-fucosidase), which is produced by cells of normal liver. (Enzymes are proteins that speed up biochemical reactions.) Potentially, these blood tests, which are used in conjunction with the AFP, it can be very helpful in diagnosing more cases of liver cancer than with AFP alone.
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Diagnosis of Liver Cancer


Blood Test
Liver cancer is not diagnosed by routine blood test, which is a standard panel of liver tests. Diagnosis of liver cancer depends so much on the vigilance of a doctor that filters with a tumor marker (alpha-fetoprotein) in the blood and imaging studies (imaging) of radiology. Because most patients with liver cancer-related liver disease (cirrhosis), liver blood tests they probably are not normal to begin with. If these blood tests become abnormal or worsen due to liver cancer, it usually marks the extensive involvement of liver cancer. At that time, any medical treatment or surgery may be too late.

Sometimes, however, other abnormal blood tests may indicate the presence of liver cancer. Remember that each type of cell in the body contains a full complement of genetic information. What distinguishes one cell type from another is the particular set of genes that are turned on or turned off in that cell. When cells become cancerous, certain of which genes are turned off the cell becomes turned on. Thus, in liver cancer, liver cells that are cancerous may take the characteristics of the types of other cells. For example, liver cancer cells sometimes can produce hormones that are normally produced in other body systems. These hormones then can cause certain abnormal blood tests, such as a high red blood count (erythrocytosis), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood calcium (hypercalcemia).
Other abnormal blood tests, high serum cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia), seen in up to 10% of African patients with cancer of the liver. High cholesterol occurs because the liver cancer cells are not able to turn off (inhibit) their production of cholesterol. (Normal cells are able to turn off their production of cholesterol).
There are no screening blood tests that can be trusted or accurate for liver cancer. Biochemical blood tests most widely used is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which is a protein normally produced by liver cells in the immature fetus (fetus). At birth, infants have relatively high levels of AFP, which dropped to normal adult levels in the first year of life. Also, pregnant women containing babies with neural vascular damage may have AFP levels are high. (A vessel nerve damage is a fetal brain or bone marrow abnormalities caused by folic acid deficiency during pregnancy.)
In adults, blood levels are high (greater than 500 nanograms / milliliter) of AFP are seen in only three situations:
• Liver Cancer
• Cells of seed tumors (cancer of the testicles fruits and ovaries)
• Metastatic Cancer of the liver (derived from other organs)
Several assays (tests) for measuring AFP are available. Generally, a normal AFP level was below 10 ng / ml. Moderate levels AFP (even almost up to 500 ng / ml) can be seen in patients with chronic hepatitis. Moreover, many patients with various types of acute and chronic liver disease without liver cancer that can be documented may have a mild increase in AFP or even moderate.
The sensitivity of AFP for liver cancer about 60%. In other words, an elevated AFP blood test seen in approximately 60% of patients with liver cancer. That leaves 40% of patients with liver cancer who have normal AFP levels. Therefore, a normal AFP does not negate the liver cancer. Also, as noted above, an abnormal AFP does not mean that a patient suffering from liver cancer. It is important to note, however, that patients with cirrhosis and an abnormal AFP, although no documented liver cancer, remains at high risk of developing liver cancer. Thus, all patients with cirrhosis and an elevated AFP, particularly with a steady increase in blood levels, most likely to develop liver cancer or have actually had a liver cancer was not found.
An AFP greater than 500 ng / ml is highly suggestive of liver cancer. In fact, blood levels of freely relate to the size of liver cancer. Finally, in patients with liver cancer and abnormal levels of AFP, AFP may be used as a marker (marker) response to treatment. For example, an elevated AFP is expected to fall to normal in a patient that his cancer successfully removed surgically (resected).
There are a number of other HCC tumor markers that currently are research tools and not generally available. These include des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP), a variant of the enzymes gamma-glutamyltransferase, and variants of other enzymes (eg, alpha-L-fucosidase), which is produced by cells of normal liver. (Enzymes are proteins that speed up biochemical reactions.) Potentially, these blood tests, which are used in conjunction with the AFP, it can be very helpful in diagnosing more cases of liver cancer than with AFP alone.