Liver Cancer Research Paper

Liver cancer has three different types, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma, and angiosarcoma. The most common type of liver cancer is HCC, where cancerous tumors are formed either from a single place or from several places in the liver. Approximately 80% of adults who are diagnosed with liver cancer have this type of cancer. Research shows people with HCC are more common in developing continents such as Asia and Africa, with about 77% of HCC deaths occurring here. Unlike HCC, cholangiocarcinoma starts in the bile duct connecting the liver and the gallbladder where the digestive fluids filter to the intestines. This rare form of liver cancer is very fatal if not treated. Compared to these two types of liver cancer, angiosarcoma …show more content…
Liver cancer happens as initiators mutate proto-oncogenes to oncogenes. There are a variety of factors that can lead cancerous cells to form, including smoking, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, diabetes, obesity, and environmental factors. Among these factors, viral hepatitis is the largest risk factor while cirrhosis is the most familiar one. Unfortunately, Chinese people are more easily susceptible to viral hepatitis and cirrhosis than others due to their different body types. Chinese people, unluckily have more hepatitis B and C (two types of viral hepatitis) in their body while people from other countries have less of them. This is due in part to their lifestyle habits in Asia. Families generally eat shared food dishes, with utensils possibly infecting the food they share with the virus. This leads to the virus spreading quickly to other family members. When the seriousness of the hepatitis virus strengthens, it will cause damage to the liver and complicate the important functions of it. The virus can also be spread to a newborn baby through its mother if the mother is …show more content…
Cirrhosis is a slow processing disease which occurs when the healthy liver tissue is destroyed and is replaced by scar tissue. Once the scar tissue arises, the liver cannot perform its functions properly because scar tissue will block the flow of blood through the liver, and as a result, the rate for processing hormones and nutrients will be slowed down as well as the production of protein and other substances. Alcohol abuse is one of the leading causes of cirrhosis. Since China is one of the most alcohol consuming countries in the world, many people in China suffer from cirrhosis which leads to liver cancer. Each drinker consumes an average of 2.8 gallons of pure alcohol a year in China according to the World Health Organization. Therefore, the reason why Chinese have a higher risk of getting liver cancer is due to their lifestyle and alcohol habits and the presence of the hepatitis B

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