Why Is Liver Cancer So Deadly?

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Why does liver cancer cause death

Liver – The liver is the chemical factory of the body. It carries out many tasks and is very important in maintaining the balance of body chemicals. Cancer that has spread to the liver can upset this chemical balance. It can be life-threatening if the body can’t correct this chemical balance.

Why is liver cancer so hard to survive?

3 min read Screening for early detection of primary liver cancer is not performed routinely, but it may be considered for people at high risk for the disease. However, studies haven’t determined if screening is beneficial for people who are not at increased risk.

Blood tests that measure tumor markers – the levels of these substances rise in the blood if someone has a particular cancer – can aid diagnosis. Liver cancers secrete a substance called alpha fetoprotein (AFP) that is normally present in fetuses but goes away at birth. An elevated AFP in adults may indicate liver cancer as it is produced in 70% of liver cancers. Elevated levels of iron may also be a tumor marker.Imaging with ultrasound is the initial diagnostic test as it can detect tumors as small as one centimeter. High resolution CT scans and contrast MRI scans are used to diagnose and stage these tumors.A liver biopsy will distinguish a benign tumor from a malignant one. However, depending on the results of other tests, a biopsy might not be required to diagnose cancer,Laparoscopy, using tools and cameras through small incisions, is useful for detecting small tumors, determining the extent of cirrhosis, or obtaining a biopsy, and confirm previous tests, among other things.

Any liver cancer is difficult to cure. Primary liver cancer is rarely detectable early, when it is most treatable. Secondary or metastatic liver cancer is hard to treat because it has already spread. The liver’s complex network of blood vessels and bile ducts makes surgery difficult.

• Most treatment concentrates on making patients feel better and perhaps live longer,
• Patients with early-stage tumors that can be removed surgically have the best chance of long-term survival.
• Unfortunately, most liver cancers are inoperable at the time it’s diagnosed, either because the cancer is too advanced or the liver is too diseased to permit surgery.

In some patients, chemotherapy is given directly into the liver (chemoembolization) to reduce tumors to a size that may make surgery possible. This may also be done without chemotherapy (bland embolization) in some cases, using ethanol instead. Patients in remission must be monitored closely for potential recurrence.

Cryotherapy, or freezing the tumor, and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), using radio waves to destroy the tumor, may be used to treat some cases of liver cancer. Radiation therapy can be given in various ways, but has its limitations due to the liver’s low tolerance to radiation. When used, the role of radiation is to alleviate symptoms outside of the liver or to relieve pain within the liver by shrinking the tumor.

Radioembolization therapy uses substances to cut off the blood supply to the tumor. A liver transplant may be an option for those with both liver cancer and cirrhosis. Although this procedure is risky, it offers some chance of long-term survival. Advanced liver cancer has no standard curative treatment.

Chemotherapy and low-dose radiation may control the cancer’s spread and ease pain, however these are of modest benefit in this type of cancer. Most patients receive painkilling medication along with drugs to relieve nausea, improve appetite, and reduce abdominal or lower body swelling. The drug sorafenib ( Nexavar ) and regorafenib ( Stivarga ) are targeted drugs that can improve the overall survival with advanced liver cancer.

In addition, lenvatinib ( Lenvima ), nivolumab ( Opdivo ), and the combination of atezolizumab ( Tecentriq ) plus bevacizumab ( Avastin, Mvasi, Zirabevcan ) can also be used to treat advanced liver cancer. People with advanced liver cancer may choose to join clinical trials testing new approaches to treatment.

What is the life expectancy of a person with liver cancer?

Survival for all stages of liver cancer – There are no UK-wide statistics available for the survival for all stages of liver cancer. Survival statistics are available for people with primary liver cancer in England. These figures are for adults diagnosed in England between 2015 and 2019. For adults diagnosed with liver cancer in England:

40 out of 100 people (40%) will survive their cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis almost 15 out of 100 people (almost 15%) will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they are diagnosed

One- and five-year cancer survival for England, 2022 NHS Digital These statistics are for net survival. Net survival estimates the number of people who survive their cancer rather than calculating the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are still alive.

Why is cancer in the liver so bad?

Research reveals the liver siphons critical immune cells to render immunotherapy ineffective; radiation to the liver may block this process. – Michael Green, M.D., Ph.D., noticed that when his patients had cancer that spread to the liver, they fared poorly – more so than when cancer spread to other parts of the body.

Not only that, but transformative immunotherapy treatments had little impact for these patient. Uncovering the reason and a possible solution, a new study, published in Nature Medicine, finds that tumors in the liver siphon off critical immune cells, rendering immunotherapy ineffective. But coupling immunotherapy with radiotherapy to the liver in mice restored the immune cell function and led to better outcomes,

“Patients with liver metastases receive little benefit from immunotherapy, a treatment that has been a game-changer for many cancers. Our research suggests that we can reverse this resistance using radiation therapy. This has potential to make a real difference in outcomes for these patients,” says Green, assistant professor of radiation oncology at Michigan Medicine and corresponding author on the paper.

A multidisciplinary team from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center looked at data from 718 patients who had received immunotherapy at the center. Patients had a variety of cancer types, including non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, urothelial cancer and renal cell cancer, which had spread to different organs, including the liver and lungs.

Repeatedly, those with liver metastases had worse responses to immunotherapy. The issue was not just in the liver either: these patients had more cancer throughout their bodies, compared to similar patients whose cancer had spread but not to the liver.

1. The liver is initiating a systemic immunosuppressive mechanism.
2. The mechanism happens in the liver, but we see the systemic impact throughout the body,” says corresponding study author Weiping Zou, M.D., Ph.D.
3. Charles B.
4. De Nancrede Professor of Surgery, Pathology, Immunology and Biology at the University of Michigan.

The liver is one of the most common sites to which cancer metastasizes. It’s known to interfere with immune response in autoimmune diseases, viral infections and organ transplants by suppressing certain critical immune cells. This was playing out in metastatic cancer as oncologists observed a lack of immune response.

Green notes that patients with liver metastases who received chemotherapy or targeted therapies did not have worse outcomes compared to those with other types of metastases. “It’s unique to immunotherapy,” he says. Looking within the microenvironment of the liver metastases, researchers saw that the tumors were siphoning off the T cells – immune cells that should have been working to attack the cancer.

Not only were the T cells being eliminated in the liver, but this was also creating an immune desert throughout the body. As a result, the immune system could not be activated to fight tumors at any sites. Using mice with liver metastases, researchers delivered radiation therapy directly to the tumors in the liver.

• This stopped T cell death.
• With the T cells restored, an immune checkpoint inhibitor was then able to activate the immune system to eliminate the cancer throughout the body, on par with results seen in non-liver metastases.
• It’s always a challenge to identify a novel mechanism of immune suppression and find a way to address it.

With these promising results, we are now looking to open clinical trials in this space to better understand the mechanisms at play in human tumors,” Green says. Clinical trials are currently being developed but are not yet available. Learn about clinical trials open at the Rogel Cancer Center.

1. Additional authors are Jiali Yu, Shasha Li, Yilun Sun, Sara Journey, Jae Eu Choi, Syed Monem Rizvi, Angel Qin, Jessica F.
2. Waninger, Xueting Lang, Zoey Chopra, Issam El Naqa, Jiajia Zhou, Yingjie Bian, Long Jiang, Alangoya Tezel, Jeremy Skvarce, Rohan K.
3. Achar, Merna Sitto, Benjamin Rosen, Fengyun Su, Sathiya Narayanan, Xuhong Cao, Shuang Wei, Wojciech Szeliga, Linda Vatan, Charles Mayo, Meredith Morgan, Caitlin Schonewolf, Kyle Cuneo, Ilona Kryczek, Vincent Ma, Leslie Fecher, Christopher Lao, Theodore S.

Lawrence, Nithya Ramnath, Fei Wen, Arul Chinnaiyan, Marcin Cieslik and Ajjai Alva. Funding was from National Cancer Institute grants CA248430, CA217648, CA123088, CA099985, CA193136, CA152470, 1UM1HG006508, U01CA216440 and P30CA46592. Paper cited: “Liver metastasis restrains immunotherapy efficacy via macrophage-mediated T cell elimination,” Nature Medicine.

Does anyone survive liver cancer?

What is the survival rate for liver cancer? – There are different types of statistics that can help doctors evaluate a person’s chance of recovery from liver cancer. These are called survival statistics. A specific type of survival statistic is called the relative survival rate.

• It is often used to predict how having cancer may affect life expectancy.
• Relative survival rate looks at how likely people with liver cancer are to survive for a certain amount of time after their initial diagnosis or start of treatment compared to the expected survival of similar people without this cancer.

Example: Here is an example to help explain what a relative survival rate means. Please note this is only an example and not specific to this type of cancer. Let’s assume that the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific type of cancer is 90%. “Percent” means how many out of 100.

Imagine there are 1,000 people without cancer, and based on their age and other characteristics, you expect 900 of the 1,000 to be alive in 5 years. Also imagine there are another 1,000 people similar in age and other characteristics as the first 1,000, but they all have the specific type of cancer that has a 5-year survival rate of 90%.

This means it is expected that 810 of the people with the specific cancer (90% of 900) will be alive in 5 years. It is important to remember that statistics on the survival rates for people with liver cancer are only an estimate. They cannot tell an individual person if cancer will or will not shorten their life.

Instead, these statistics describe trends in groups of people previously diagnosed with the same disease, including specific stages of the disease. The 5-year relative survival rate for liver cancer in the United States is 21%, compared to 3% 40 years ago. The survival rates for liver cancer vary based on several factors.

These include the stage of cancer, a person’s age and general health, and how well the treatment plan works. For the 43% of people who are diagnosed with liver cancer at an early stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 36%. If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or organs and/or to the regional lymph nodes, the 5-year relative survival rate is 13%.

If the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body, the 5-year relative survival rate is 3%. However, even if the cancer is found at a more advanced stage, treatments are available to help many people with liver cancer experience a quality of life similar to that of before their diagnosis, at least for some time.

If surgery is possible, it generally results in higher survival rates across all stages of the disease. Experts measure relative survival rate statistics for liver cancer every 5 years. This means the estimate may not reflect the results of advancements in how liver cancer is diagnosed or treated from the last 5 years.

Talk with your doctor if you have any questions about this information. Learn more about understanding statistics, Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2023, the ACS website, and the International Agency for Cancer Research website. (All sources accessed February 2023.) The next section in this guide is Medical Illustrations,

It offers a drawing of the location of the liver in the body. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.

Do people ever survive liver cancer?

What are the survival rates for liver cancer? – The 5-year survival rate for liver cancer tends to be better if the cancer is found and treated at an earlier stage. Here are the 5-year survival rates for liver cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute :

Overall, the 5-year survival rate for liver cancer is about 17%. For people whose cancer is found before it’s spread outside the liver, the 5-year survival rate is about 31%. The 5-year survival rate for liver cancer that has reached nearby organs or lymph nodes is about 11%. If liver cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is about 3%.

These numbers are adjusted to account for the fact that some people with liver cancer may die from other causes.

Is liver cancer very aggressive

Hepatocellular carcinoma, also called liver carcinoma, is a rare, aggressive type of liver cancer. There are two predominant subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma: conventional and fibrolamellar.

Can you get better from liver cancer

What happens if you’ve been told your cancer cannot be cured – If you have advanced liver cancer it might be very hard to treat. It may not be possible to cure the cancer. If this is the case, the aim of your treatment will be to limit the cancer and its symptoms, and help you live longer.

Has anyone survived stage 4 liver cancer?

Stage IV liver cancer life expectancy – With stage IV liver cancer, many factors influence your life expectancy. These include:

The specific type of cancer you have What treatments you undergo Whether the cancer responds to these treatments Your age Your overall health

We need more research on liver cancer and life expectancy to better represent the general population with liver cancer. However, according to one small study conducted by Cancer Research UK, patients with stage IV metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma may have 4–11 months to live.¹⁰ This applies to cases of liver cancer that spread to the lymph nodes or distant organs.

Your life expectancy will depend on the type of treatment you receive, the characteristics of your particular cancer, and your general health. Your doctor can give you an estimate based on these elements. Instead of focusing on life expectancy, it may help to focus on your quality of life. Liver cancer treatments can manage the cancer and ease your symptoms to improve your quality of life.

While the survival rates of stage IV liver cancer are low, there have also been cases where patients have lived for years after their diagnosis.¹¹ Therefore, it’s important to consider your treatment options.

How painful is liver cancer?

Pain in the upper right abdomen – Potential causes of this symptom include:

Liver conditions: Besides cancer, a person may experience referred pain from other liver conditions, such as:

an abscess cirrhosis fatty liver disease

Kidney conditions: Kidney stones or a kidney infection can cause pain in the upper right area of the abdomen. They may also cause cloudy or bloody urine, pain during urination, chills, and fever. Pancreatitis : Pancreatitis can cause pain in the upper abdomen, which may spread to areas of the back. Gallstones : Gallstones can cause pain in the upper right abdomen that can last for several hours,

A person should contact a doctor if they have any concerns that they may have cancer. They should do this as a matter of urgency if they have:

pain and other symptoms of liver cancer that persist or worsen after 2 weeks significant weight loss in the last 6–12 months without trying a lump in the abdomen

If a person develops jaundice or has been vomiting for more than 2 days, they should speak with a doctor as soon as possible. As the symptoms of liver cancer can be due to other conditions, it is important for a doctor to evaluate them and run diagnostic tests.

They may be able to rule out liver cancer or make an early diagnosis. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the chances are of successful treatment. Pain from liver cancer can occur in the upper right abdomen, the right shoulder, or the back. The pain may vary depending on the cause. Soft tissue pain may feel pulsating, whereas nerve pain can be sharp or stabbing.

In cases where tumors metastasize to bone, a person may experience deep, dull pain. However, there are a variety of other potential causes for pain in the upper right abdomen or the right shoulder. These include gallstones, other liver conditions, and kidney conditions.

Does liver cancer spread fast?

Does liver cancer spread quickly? – Liver cancer can spread quickly depending on the type of cancer, such as hemangiosarcoma and angiosarcoma, which are fast spreading. Liver cancer can spread quickly depending on the type of cancer, Hemangiosarcoma and angiosarcoma types of liver cancer are fast spreading, whereas hepatocellular carcinoma spreads late in the disease.

At what stage is liver cancer curable

Potentially resectable or transplantable cancers – If the patient is healthy enough for surgery, these cancers can be completely removed by surgery or treated with a liver transplant. This would include most stage I and some stage II cancers in the TNM system, in patients who do not have cirrhosis or other serious medical problems.

Which is worse lung or liver cancer?

Isolated lung metastasis is associated with a worse prognosis in TC patients compared with bone or liver metastasis.

How long can you have liver cancer without knowing

Cancer is a complex and diverse group of diseases. It can develop silently within the body, sometimes without noticeable symptoms, until it reaches an advanced stage. This can make early detection and diagnosis challenging. However, doctors can diagnose many cancers early, even before symptoms develop.

the type of cancerits locationhow quickly it grows and spreads

Some cancers, such as carcinoid cancer, grow extremely slowly. Years or even decades may pass before they cause noticeable symptoms. During this time, the cancer may go undetected. Cancer may also go undetected because of factors such as an individual’s overall health and medical conditions that may cause symptoms similar to cancer.

pain fatigue unexplained weight loss abnormal lumps or growths

Conversely, asymptomatic cancers may not trigger noticeable symptoms, even as they progress. In these instances, doctors may detect cancer incidentally during routine medical checkups, screenings, or investigations for unrelated health concerns. This highlights the importance of regular health assessments and screenings, as they can play a crucial role in detecting cancer at an early stage, even before symptoms develop.

Pancreatic cancer : This cancer often goes undetected until it reaches an advanced stage. This can be due to its location, deep within the abdomen, and the absence of noticeable early symptoms. Lung cancer : In the early stages, lung cancer does not often produce significant symptoms. Symptoms may link to other respiratory issues, such as asthma, leading to a delayed diagnosis. Ovarian cancer : This cancer is known for its silent nature. Symptoms may relate to other conditions, leading to delayed diagnosis and more challenging treatment. Thyroid cancer : Some people may have a lump or pain in their throat, but many are asymptomatic. Kidney cancer : Early stage kidney cancer may not cause symptoms, and doctors may detect it incidentally during imaging studies for unrelated reasons. Colorectal cancer : Bowel cancer causes vague symptoms and can be hard to detect in the initial stages. Liver cancer : Early stage liver cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms. A doctor may detect it incidentally during routine medical tests or when investigating unrelated conditions.

Other cancers that can be asymptomatic until the advanced stages include:

Brain cancer : Subtle signs of a brain tumor can include persistent headaches, unexplained seizures, changes in vision, or cognitive and behavioral changes. Testicular cancer : Regular self-examination of the testicles is important for early detection. Looking and feeling for changes, such as testicular lumps, swelling, pain, or abnormalities, can help identify potential issues and prompt timely medical evaluation. Breast cancer : In some cases, breast cancer may not cause lumps or apparent symptoms. Mammograms and breast self-examinations can help with the early detection of breast abnormalities. Prostate cancer : Males should take time to understand their risk factors and undergo recommended screenings, such as prostate-specific antigen blood tests and digital rectal exams, Skin cancer : Certain types of skin cancer, including melanoma, can be asymptomatic or exhibit subtle symptoms until the advanced stages. Regular skin self-examinations, monitoring moles for changes in size, shape, color, or texture, and practicing sun protection measures can help with early detection.

Screening programs are vital for detecting cancers at earlier stages when treatment options are more effective. By participating in these programs and monitoring for subtle signs or symptoms, individuals can contribute to the early detection and improved outcomes of various cancers.

• If a person experiences new or worsening health issues or symptoms, they should consult their doctor.
• Many medical conditions unrelated to cancer can cause worrying symptoms.
• A person should talk with a doctor about any bothersome symptoms they experience, regardless of the possible cause.
• Anyone with a family history of cancer should discuss their screening and preventive options with a doctor.

Early detection and treatment play a crucial role in improving cancer outcomes. There is no one answer to how long someone can have cancer without knowing. It depends on various factors, including the type of cancer, its growth rate, individual health conditions, and screening practices.

Can liver cancer be cured with chemotherapy

Can Liver Cancer Be Cured With Chemotherapy? Chemotherapy is a form of treatment used for cancer that involves delivering powerful cancer-killing drugs into the body, either orally or intravenously. Chemotherapy is sometimes used as treatment for liver cancer, though there are many chemotherapy drugs that this particular malignancy often resists.

Cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and doxorubicin are the chemotherapy drugs that have proven most effective in treating liver cancer, but they still only shrink a small number of liver tumors. In most cases, chemotherapy is not a cure for liver cancer. Because traditional chemotherapy is not effective in treating liver cancer, physicians sometimes recommend a different form of chemotherapy called hepatic artery infusion (HAI).

This treatment involves putting the chemotherapy drugs directly into the hepatic artery, a short blood vessel that supplies blood to the liver. This technique allows more of the chemotherapy drugs to reach the tumor and is often more effective than traditional systemic chemotherapy.

What’s the longest someone has lived with Stage 4 cancer?

18 Years of Living With Stage 4 Colon Cancer.

Can you live without a liver?

Biliary atresia – Biliary atresia is a congenital abnormality in which the bile duct is missing or malformed. The symptoms usually appear in the first weeks to months of an infant’s life. The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself. In fact, the liver can regrow even when up to 90% of the liver is absent.

1. This means that it is possible to grow a whole liver from just a small piece of another liver.
2. A living donor can, therefore, give part of their liver to a person with liver failure.
3. During a liver transplant, a surgeon removes a person’s diseased or failing liver.
4. They replace it with either a whole liver from a deceased donor or a partial liver from a living donor.

Both the recipient’s and the living donor’s partial liver will regrow to become full livers. The livers of donors can regrow within a few weeks to months, According to a 2021 article, a liver transplant can prolong life expectancy by about 15 years in individuals with acute and chronic end stage liver disease.

1. Without a transplant, liver failure is usually fatal.
2. The liver is a vital organ that is critical to sustaining life.
3. It eliminates toxins, breaks down nutrients, and stores vitamins and energy.
4. It is not possible to live without a functioning liver.
5. This means that although people can live with liver disease, those with liver failure need a transplant.

As the liver can regrow itself, a living donor can give a person part of their liver.

How quickly does liver cancer grow?

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What is death from liver cancer like

How long does it take for a person to experience changes to their appetite after a diagnosis? – The length of time it takes for people with end stage liver cancer to experience changes to their appetite and fluid intake may vary for each person and their individual situation.

• People may experience a loss of appetite with advanced cancer.
• Symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, and constipation, as well as medication side effects, may affect how people eat and drink.
• People may experience changes to eating and drinking toward the end of life.
• As the body starts to slow down, a person may feel the need for less food.

A person may lose their appetite because their body needs to save energy and has a reduced ability to use food and fluids as it usually would. In the last few days or hours of life, people may lose their appetite completely and may not want to drink fluids either.

withdrawal from loved ones, caregivers, and activitieslack of responsiveness to caregiverschanges in sleep patterns, such as increased sleepincreased difficulty in managing painincreased weakness and fatigueconfusionwaking dreamsdiscussion of visions, going on a trip, or certain symbols

A 2018 review suggests that early access to consistent palliative care is beneficial for people with liver cancer and their loved ones. Palliative care provides medical treatment, helps people manage symptoms, and focuses on improving quality of life.

1. People with a serious illness such as liver cancer can receive palliative care at any age and at any stage of the disease.
2. People may choose to use hospice care in the final 6 months of life.
3. Healthcare professionals may suggest hospice care if they believe a person has 6 months or less to live based on the level of disease.

Hospices offer care up to the end of life. The time liver cancer takes to reach end stage can vary from person to person. However, primary liver cancer tends to grow quickly. The life expectancy for a person with end stage liver cancer can also vary. Doctors can use different staging systems to predict a person’s life expectancy.

• However, these figures are estimates and a person should speak with a doctor about how liver cancer might affect them.
• End stage liver cancer may cause certain symptoms, such as jaundice, abdominal pain, fatigue, and digestive issues.
• Near the end of life, people may display symptoms, such as irregular breathing, a loss of desire to eat and drink, or increased sleep.

However, these symptoms may vary for each person and may not always indicate the end of life. People may want to consider palliative care and hospice care to provide medical care and improve quality of life for people with late stage liver cancer.

Has Stage 4 cancer been cured?

Frequently Asked Questions –

Are stage 4 cancers curable? Stage 4 cancer is usually considered incurable. However, there are treatment options that can help to prolong survival and improve your quality of life. How long can you live with stage 4 liver cancer? Stage 4 liver cancer is also known as distant liver cancer, which means it’s spread to other organs and lymph nodes. The five-year survival rate is 2.7% for men and 4.2% for women. What is the deadliest type of cancer? Lung and bronchus cancer cause the most deaths each year. This is partially due to the fact that people often are not diagnosed with the disease until it is already at an advanced stage.

Can Stage 4 cancer survive

Stage 4 cancer survival rate – After a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, it’s normal to want to learn more about survival rates. Survival rate estimates for patients with cancer vary based on several factors, including:

Type of cancer Age Overall health before beginning cancer treatment Grade of the cancer

Although the overall prognosis may be poor based on cases with previous patients and older treatments, many patients with stage 4 cancer can live for years. A few factors to keep in mind:

Many treatments are available to help fight cancer. The body’s response to treatment may differ from that of others. The patient will be able to share decision-making with his or her care team at each stage of treatment.

Advanced cancer treatments may be used to help treat symptoms, slow the cancer’s growth and improve quality of life. Additionally, having the appropriate support for the patient and his or her family can make a big difference.

What is death from liver cancer like

How long does it take for a person to experience changes to their appetite after a diagnosis? – The length of time it takes for people with end stage liver cancer to experience changes to their appetite and fluid intake may vary for each person and their individual situation.

People may experience a loss of appetite with advanced cancer. Symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, and constipation, as well as medication side effects, may affect how people eat and drink. People may experience changes to eating and drinking toward the end of life. As the body starts to slow down, a person may feel the need for less food.

A person may lose their appetite because their body needs to save energy and has a reduced ability to use food and fluids as it usually would. In the last few days or hours of life, people may lose their appetite completely and may not want to drink fluids either.

withdrawal from loved ones, caregivers, and activitieslack of responsiveness to caregiverschanges in sleep patterns, such as increased sleepincreased difficulty in managing painincreased weakness and fatigueconfusionwaking dreamsdiscussion of visions, going on a trip, or certain symbols

A 2018 review suggests that early access to consistent palliative care is beneficial for people with liver cancer and their loved ones. Palliative care provides medical treatment, helps people manage symptoms, and focuses on improving quality of life.

People with a serious illness such as liver cancer can receive palliative care at any age and at any stage of the disease. People may choose to use hospice care in the final 6 months of life. Healthcare professionals may suggest hospice care if they believe a person has 6 months or less to live based on the level of disease.

Hospices offer care up to the end of life. The time liver cancer takes to reach end stage can vary from person to person. However, primary liver cancer tends to grow quickly. The life expectancy for a person with end stage liver cancer can also vary. Doctors can use different staging systems to predict a person’s life expectancy.

However, these figures are estimates and a person should speak with a doctor about how liver cancer might affect them. End stage liver cancer may cause certain symptoms, such as jaundice, abdominal pain, fatigue, and digestive issues. Near the end of life, people may display symptoms, such as irregular breathing, a loss of desire to eat and drink, or increased sleep.

However, these symptoms may vary for each person and may not always indicate the end of life. People may want to consider palliative care and hospice care to provide medical care and improve quality of life for people with late stage liver cancer.

What happens at end of life liver cancer

Physical changes – The body begins its natural process of slowing down all its functions. How long this takes varies from person to person. It might take hours or days. The dying person will feel weak and sleep a lot. When death is very near, you might notice some physical changes such as changes in breathing, loss of bladder and bowel control and unconsciousness.

1. It can be emotionally very difficult to watch someone go through these physical changes.
2. But they are part of a natural dying process.
3. They don’t mean that the person is uncomfortable or in distress.
4. The doctors and nurses looking after the person will regularly check for these changes.
5. They will do all they can to make your relative or friend as comfortable as possible during their death.

If you are looking after someone at home while they are dying, you should have support from a specialist community nurse, district nurses and the GP. They can answer your questions and help make home nursing easier for you.

Why is liver cancer the fastest growing?

Liver cancer epidemiology is changing due to increasing alcohol consumption, rising prevalence of obesity, and advances in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment.

What happens to your body when you have liver cancer

Symptoms – Most people don’t have signs and symptoms in the early stages of primary liver cancer. When signs and symptoms do appear, they may include:

Losing weight without trying Loss of appetite Upper abdominal pain Nausea and vomiting General weakness and fatigue Abdominal swelling Yellow discoloration of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice) White, chalky stools