Do you know that maintaining a healthy weight is essential for overall health? Nowadays, people are becoming obese by eating junk food and other unhealthy foods. But be aware of the fact that being overweight dramatically increases your risk of developing liver cancer. The frequency of liver cancer has increased recently, and it is a dangerous disorder that can have life-threatening effects. Though there are many liver cancer treatments available, still it’s our responsibility to take care of our health by avoiding unhealthy foods and clumsy lifestyles. People must comprehend the connection between obesity and liver cancer to take proactive measures towards healthier lifestyles. Here in this blog, we’ll examine how being overweight can increase the risk of developing liver cancer and the methods to lower it.

 

How excess weight raises the possibility of liver cancer:

The liver is a crucial organ that performs several metabolic tasks, such as removing toxins from the blood and assisting in digestion. But excessive liver fat accumulation might cause a condition known as Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is frequently linked to obesity and develops in people who drink little to no alcohol when fat accumulates in the liver. Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), a more serious illness that involves inflammation and liver cell destruction, can develop from NAFLD if it is not treated.

 

A significant risk factor for the onset and progression of NAFLD and NASH is obesity. Overeating causes extra fat to be accumulated throughout the body, particularly in the liver. This fat build-up may cause oxidative stress and liver inflammation, which may encourage the development of cancerous cells. Studies have shown that individuals with obesity-related liver diseases risk developing liver cancer more than those without these disorders.

 

Additionally, obesity can result in metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, raising the risk of liver cancer. When the body’s cells stop responding to the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar levels, insulin resistance develops. Because of this, the body makes more insulin, which may promote the development of liver cells and eventually result in cancer. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by high blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, and abdominal fat. A higher risk of liver cancer has been directly related to this illness.

 

Suggestions for lowering the risk of liver cancer:

Maintaining a healthy weight and living a healthy lifestyle is critical to lower the risk of liver cancer. The following advice can assist you in achieving and keeping a healthy weight:

 

In conclusion, being overweight can raise the risk of liver cancer in human bodies due to the development and progression of obesity-related diseases like NAFLD and NASH. To lower the risk of liver cancer, it’s essential to prioritize keeping a healthy weight and establishing a healthy lifestyle. Individuals can take preventative measures to lower the risk of liver cancer by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, limiting their alcohol intake, stopping smoking, and scheduling routine check-ups. Keep in mind that maintaining a healthy weight not only improves your general well-being but is also essential for maintaining the health of your liver. Take control of your health by making decisions to help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of developing liver cancer. If you or your loved ones are suffering from cancer, it is essential to consult a cancer specialist to get the best treatment. So if you want to consult a specialist, you should consult Oncoplus, a cancer specialist in Delhi, India, for the best treatments. We are collaborating with India’s social security programs to develop a vision of a cancer-free and well-informed India.

According to the research of 2022 by American Society of Clinical Oncology, immunotherapy helps to improve the health of people who are suffering from advanced liver cancer and biliary tract cancer. This therapy improves the immune system of the patient by using their own body parts to fight diseases such as cancer. In other words, immunotherapy boosts the body parts of the patient so that they work smarter and fight cancer cells.

Biliary Tract Cancer develops in the bile duct (slender tubes) inside the liver (intrahepatic) or outside the liver (extrahepatic).The bile duct connects your liver to the small intestine and the gallbladder. Bile duct cancer mostly occurs after the age of 50 and is also known as cholangiocarcinoma. In this blog, you will read about liver cancer treatment with immunotherapy.

Symptoms of Biliary Tract Cancer:

The Causes of Biliary Tract Cancer:

Normally, bile duct cancer occurs if the cells in the bile duct have changes in their DNA. And DNA is the chemical that is present in the cell and gives instructions to the cell on what to do. If there are changes in the cell, then it can give rise to tumors that can destroy healthy body tissues.

Dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and nitrosamines are some of the chemicals that cause bile duct cancer. People who work in rubber plants or in the automotive industry are generally exposed to these chemicals.

Factors that Increase the Risk of Biliary Tract Cancer:

How Does Immunotherapy Help to Prevent Liver Cancer?

People who are suffering from advanced liver cancer cannot be cured with surgery. According to recent research, to prevent liver cancer, doctor’s use a combination of immunotherapy drugs, i.e., tremelimumab targets CTLA-4 & durvalumab (Imfinzi) targets the PD-1 protein, which helps people deal with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. This immunotherapy uses the body’s parts and improves the immune system so that it fights against cancer cells.

And people who are suffering from advanced biliary duct tract cancer also get relief from immunotherapy. To prevent biliary duct cancer, the combination of immunotherapy drugs, i.e., durvalumab (Imfinzi) with chemotherapy drugs like gemcitabine (Gemstar) and cisplatin, helped the patients live longer.

Liver cancer and biliary duct cancer cannot be removed with surgery. The patients can visit the best cancer hospital in Delhi for immunotherapy treatment. So, the immunotherapy treatment improves the health of patients suffering from cancer. The overall response rate of these immunotherapy treatments is that they stop the cancer from growing or shrinking in patients. But the side effects of this treatment are anemia, neutropenia, and nausea.

 

Read More Blog : Immunotherapy For Cancer Treatment In Delhi

A mastectomy is a treatment for breast cancer in which all the breast tissues, extra fat, and skin are removed by the surgeon from a breast in order to prevent breast cancer. And mastectomy with aesthetic flat closure means when a person decides to leave their chest flat after the mastectomy treatment rather than having breast reconstruction surgery.

According to the research, many surgeons do not support this decision to go flat. But, there are some women who feel comfortable with their decision to go flat, and there are a few women who are not satisfied with their decision.

A person who is suffering from breast cancer can make their final decision by consulting with their doctors. The best oncology hospital in Delhi is Oncoplus Hospital, where patients get the best advice and treatment for cancer. You will learn about mastectomy with flat closure treatment here.

What is going flat after a mastectomy?

When a woman undergoes mastectomy surgery and chooses to have a flat chest, they do not go for breast reconstruction after mastectomy or decide to have no reconstruction. Women who decided to have a flat closure for various reasons: they did not want to have additional surgeries; they did not want a foreign object in their body; they wanted to avoid the risk of surgery complications; and also avoid the risk of other health issues in their body.

Patients can make the decision of no breast reconstruction according to their lifestyle and preferences. Going flat after a mastectomy is the best option for a woman who has suffered from discomfort, pain, and surgery-related complications.

When do doctors recommend mastectomy for breast cancer?

 

How to Recover From Mastectomy with No Breast Reconstruction

The patient who undergoes mastectomy with no breast reconstruction usually recovers more quickly than those who undergo mastectomy with breast reconstruction. To achieve flat closure, the patient goes through one procedure, but sometimes more than one.

In the first week after mastectomy, the patient feels pain as well as discomfort around the wound area. Normally, it takes 3 to 6 weeks to recover from a mastectomy. If the patient wants to recover quickly from mastectomy, then they should take rest when they feel tired, avoid lifting weights, walk regularly, and avoid activities like aerobics or jogging. If the patients want to drive again, they must ask their surgeon when they can drive again.

The best cancer treatment in Delhi is available at Oncoplus Hospital, where the latest technology is available to fight against cancer.

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is cancer that begins in the liver cells. Several types of cancers can develop in the liver but Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver, which begins in the liver cell (hepatocyte).

Symptoms

Symptoms of liver cancer do not appear until the cancer is at an advanced stage. But when signs and symptoms appear, these may include:
Liver Cancer

  • Fatigability and general weakness
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Loss of appetite
  • Pain in the upper abdominal region
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Swelling in Abdomen
  • Jaundice leading to yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes
  • White or chalky stools

Book an appointment with the Best Cancer Specialist at Oncoplus Hospital.

Causes and risk factors

Hepatocellular Carcinoma or Primary liver cancer tends to occur in the liver because of the following:
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  • Birth defects
  • Hemochromatosis – A hereditary disease associated with too much iron in the liver
  • Obesity
  • Chronic infection with Hepatitis B or C
  • Cirrhosis. This condition is progressive and irreversible, causes scar tissue to develop in the liver increasing the chances of developing cancer in the liver.
  • Certain inherited liver diseases including hemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease increase the risk of developing liver cancer.
  • Diabetes. People with diabetes are at more risk of liver cancer than those who do not have diabetes.
  • Fatty liver disease. Accumulation of fat in the liver increases the risk of developing liver cancer.
  • Excessive alcohol consumption over many years may lead to liver damage increases the risk of liver cancer.

Diagnosis/screening

When someone shows signs and symptoms related to liver cancer, he/she should visit the physician for a general check-up. If the cancer is diagnosed in early stage, treatment is likely to be effective.
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  • Blood Tests
  • Ultrasound
  • CT Scan shows the exact location of cancer in the liver.
  • MRI Scan
  • Biopsy: The surgeon removes a sample of live tissue and examines it under a microscope to check for cancerous cells.

Book an appointment with the best oncologists for liver cancer treatment as well as a diagnosis at the best cancer Hospital in Delhi.

Stages

The staging of liver cancer determines the extent of cancer in the liver and body. After confirmation of the diagnosis, oncologists look for the stage of cancer. Certain tests including CT scans, MRIs, and bone scans help to determine the size and location of cancer and to what extent it has spread.
Diagnosis of liver cancer

There are five stages in liver cancer:
Stage 0 – In this stage, the tumor is less than 2cm in size, and the liver functions normally.
Stage A – In this stage, the liver works well but tumor size increases up to 3 cm or there are a few small tumors less than 3cm in diameter develop in the liver.
Stage B – At this stage, multiple tumors are developed in the liver, but the person shows no signs and symptoms, as liver function is normal.
Stage C – At this stage, the cancerous cells have spread up to blood vessels, lymph nodes and the person is not feeling very well and is less active.
Stage D – This stage is advanced as a person experiences liver damage and needs urgent medical attention.

Cancer Treatment

The plan of treatment for liver cancer depends on certain factors such as the stage of the disease as well as the patient’s age, overall health. Treatment options for liver cancer are :

1. Surgery

  • Surgical resection
    Surgical resection is a term used for the procedure done to remove the cancerous cells if the liver is damaged partially limiting cancer in a small part of the liver. Since the liver can regenerate itself, that is the reason that it is possible to remove a large section of it without seriously affecting the health, but in the case of liver cancer, the ability of the liver to regenerate is impaired so surgical resection may be unsafe.Surgical resection can be performed or not is decided by the Oncosurgeons after a thorough assessment of the patient.
  • Surgery to remove the tumor. In cases where the tumor is small in diameter and the liver is functioning normally, in those cases, a small portion of healthy liver tissue surrounding the tumor is also removed along with the cancerous tissue.
  • Liver transplant surgery. This surgery is by replacing the diseased liver with a healthy liver received from a donor. Liver transplant is done if:
    • The single tumour is less than 5 cm in size
    • The single tumour is up to 7 cm in size but has not grown for 6 months
    • Three or a few small tumors less than 3 cm in size

2. Localized treatments

Localized treatments means treatments that are directly administered to the cancer cells. A few localized treatment options available for liver cancer are as follows:

  • Radiofrequency ablation or heating the cancer cells. In this process, electric current is used to heat and destroy cancer cells in the liver.
  • Cryoablation or Freezing cancer cells. Liquid nitrogen is used to freeze the cancer cells eventually destroying the cancer cells.
  • Injecting alcohol directly into the tumor either through the skin or during a surgical procedure. Alcohol kills the tumor cells.
  • Radiation in the liver. beads filled with radiation may be placed directly in the liver where they can deliver radiation directly to the tumor-killing them

3. Radiation therapy

This treatment uses high-powered energy to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy might be an option if other treatments are not possible or if they have not responded well.

4. Targeted drug therapy

Targeted drug treatments focus on specific abnormalities present within cancer cells. By blocking these abnormalities, targeted drug treatments can cause cancer cells to die.

5. Immunotherapy

The cancer cells produce proteins that blind the immune system cells not letting the immune system fight cancer. Immunotherapy works by interfering with that process, uses our immune system to fight cancer.

6. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses certain medicines to kill rapidly growing cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs are administered through a vein or orally.

7. Palliative Care or Supportive care

Palliative care is specialized medical care that aims on providing relief from pain due to some serious illness. Palliative care specialists work with the patient and the patient’s family to provide extra support complimenting the ongoing treatment and care.

Consult the cancer specialist at Oncoplus Hospital, Delhi.