Liver Cancer - Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

Causes and Symptoms

Certain conditions or behaviors can increase a person’s chances of developing liver cancer.

• Having cirrhosis is a risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer). Cirrhosis is severe scarring of the liver due to a progression of damage to the liver, usually over many years. People often think that overuse of alcohol is the only way that cirrhosis can occur. In fact, drinking alcohol in excess is only one way in which a person can get cirrhosis.
• Long-term (chronic) hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections are linked to liver cancer because they often lead to cirrhosis if they are undiagnosed and/or untreated. Hepatitis B is an exception to the norm in that it can lead to liver cancer without first causing cirrhosis in the progression of liver damage.
• People with fatty liver may over time develop complications including cirrhosis, thereby putting them at risk for liver cancer. Certain conditions increase one’s chances of having fatty liver, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides.
• People with certain hereditary and/or rare diseases may be prone to developing liver cancer. These include:
  • Wilson Disease
  • Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
  • Hemochromatosis
  • Glycogen storage disease
  • Advanced PBC
  • Porphyria cutanea tarda
  • Tyrosinemia
  • Environmental exposure to aflatoxins (poisonous cancer-causing agents produced by molds that grow in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains) may lead to liver cancer.
• long-term use of anabolic steroids has been linked to the development of liver cancer in some people.
• some of the cancers linked to aspartame include: brain, liver, lung, kidney, and lymphoreticular cancer.

Home remedies

• Juniperus Phoenicea : Both berry and leaf oil have shown strong anti-tumor properties. The berry oil works best against brain tumors and lung carcinoma, secondarily against liver carcinoma and breast carcinoma, and finally also against cervix carcinoma.
• Capillary Wormwood : scoparone, capillartemisin, capillarisin, capillin, scopoletin, isoscopoletin, artepillin, p-hydroxyacetophenone, esculetin, isochlorogenic acid, and quercetin are effective in liver cancer.
• Linalool, Found in Lavender and Other Oils, Decreases Liver Cancer Cell Viability.
• papaya leaf tea is an effective remedy for cancer. A study at the University of Florida found that papaya slowed the growth of a wide variety of tumors, including those of the breast, lung, pancreas, cervix, and liver.
• Limonoids have shown cytotoxicity to breast cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, neuroblastoma, leukemia, melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.
• AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound)is extracted from the mycelia (root threads) of Basidiomycota mushrooms (Shiitakes for example)is known to combat liver cancer.
• Saffron has the power to slow tumor growth. Getting enough of it might prevent liver cancer from forming in the first place.
• Mint, specifically peppermint, contains a phytonutrient known as amonoterpene which has shown the capability to thwart the growth of tumors in the liver, breasts and pancreas in animals.
• Dong Ling Cao (Rabdosia) in tablet form is used for malignant tumors, specifically esophageal, breast, liver, stomach, lung, and thyroid cancers.
• Fenugreek : Various animal experiments have shown fenugreek inhibits liver cancer cells. In China, fenugreek is employed as a pessary in the treatment of cervical cancer.
• Yerba Mate Tea kills liver cancer cells in humans.
• Sea Buckthorn oil may a great way to help reduce possible cancers that may develop in the liver thanks to its liver-cleansing effects.
• vitamin E either from diet or vitamin supplements may lower the risk of liver cancer.
• Salicornia : pentadecyl ferulate from S. herbacea ethyl acetate extract possesses antioxidant effect and exerts anticancer response towards human hepatocellular liver carcinoma HepG2 and human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial A549 cells, along with phytol and γ-linolenic acid (Wang et al. 2013).
• Arjuna extract offered significant protection against damage caused by lipid peroxides, indicating an antioxidant activity of arjuna bark against this type of induced liver cancer. Another Madras study found that arjuna killed cancer cells from the HepG2 human liver cancer cell line in vitro.
• Ginger and its constituents have been studied to inhibit Liver Cancer.
• Graviola extracts can kill some types of liver and breast cancer cells that are resistant to particular chemotherapy drugs.
• Apples : apple juice, apple pectin and apple peel has been experimentally confirmed to kill liver cancer.
• a 2008 study published in the journal Liver International found that treating hamsters with a combination of Selenium, Bupleurum, and Skullcap helped suppress the growth of liver cancer.
• Black Cumin : thymoquinone has a beneficial role in the treatment of liver cancer, because of its potent ability to prevent cancer cells from proliferating.
• The scent of citronella can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, including cancer of the liver.
• Cloves : Researchers found that the clove extract halted the activity and growth of the colon cancer cells, the breast cancer cells, the ovarian cancer cells, the liver cancer and the colon cancer cells.
• Coffee is a potent weapon against liver cancer and fibrosis. When caffeine breaks down, it makes paraxanthine. This compound slows the growth and spread of tissue found in liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even cancer.
• Aloe Vera : An AIDS patients was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer and told he had less than two months to live. His liver was so tumor riddled it was four times its normal size. He continued with the juice, improved gradually, and within a year all his tumors were gone.

Alternative treatments

• Urea

Warnings

It should be noted that self-treating Cancer (or any other chronic condition) and avoiding or delaying standard care may be resulting in worsening condition or even incurabilty of the disease. People with any risk factor, or those who have been diagnosed with cirrhosis, should speak with their doctors about cancer screening and surveillance so that should cancer develop, it may be diagnosed sooner rather than later.

Medical Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be substituted for medical advice. Always consult a medical professional regarding any medical problems and before undertaking any treatment or dietary changes.