Question 1

What is liver cancer?

Accepted Answer

Cancer that proliferates in the cells of your liver is called liver cancer. There are three types of liver cancer:

Hepatocellular carcinoma, which happens in the hepatocyte. This is the most common type of liver cancer.
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Hepatoblastoma

The last two types are very rare.

Question 2

Is liver cancer curable?

Accepted Answer

Liver cancer is said to be difficult to cure. The first stage is rarely diagnosed but can be treated. The second stage is very difficult to cure as the cancer has already metastasised at this stage. The complex network of blood vessels and bile ducts in the liver makes the operation difficult to perform.

Question 3

How long does it take to recover from liver surgery?

Accepted Answer

You may require a total of four to eight weeks to recover after the liver transplant surgery. The actual rate of recovery differs from person to person and depends on your health condition before the surgery.

Question 4

Can you consume alcohol after a liver transplant?

Accepted Answer

Generally, consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited after the surgery, especially for those who had alcohol-related liver disease. Consult your doctor for a detailed understanding of the contraindications and restrictions in your case.

Question 5

What are the early signs of liver damage?

Accepted Answer

To be able to consult a doctor in time, here are some early symptoms to know that your liver is damaged. Some of these are skin signs of liver damage:

Yellowish skin and eyes (jaundice)
Abdominal pain
Swelling in the legs and ankles
Itchy skin
Dark urine colour
Pale stool colour (bloody or black stool)
Chronic fatigue
Nausea or vomiting
Loss of appetite
A tendency to bruise easily

Question 6

What are the 4 stages of liver disease and damage?

Accepted Answer

The liver gets increasingly damaged as the disease progresses. There are various stages of gradual deterioration of the liver before complete liver failure occurs.

Stage 1: Inflammation

Liver inflammation is the first sign of liver disease. One of the major functions of the liver is to detox your blood. High quantities of foreign substances, like toxins, cause liver inflammation and damage.

Stage 2: Fibrosis

Inflammation, if not treated, causes liver scarring. Scar tissues then replace the healthy liver tissues, reducing liver function.

Stage 3: Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is severe scarring of the liver. At this stage, the liver loses its self-healing power. It takes 20-30 years to reach this stage. Cirrhosis can lead to a number of complications, including liver cancer.

Stage 4: Liver failure

Liver failure can be a chronic or acute condition, where it loses all ability to function.

Question 7

How do I cleanse my liver?

Accepted Answer

Limit alcohol; eat a well-balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains; maintain a healthy body weight; exercise every day; and avoid illegal drugs to keep your liver healthy. Liver detoxification or liver cleanse, as it is commonly called, cannot help you much if your liver is already infected. It only makes you feel better because it doesn't allow you to eat highly processed foods.

Question 8

Can liver disease be cured?

Accepted Answer

Among all the stages of liver disease, only a liver at the inflammation stage can be completely cured. At the fibrosis stage, liver functioning can be supported with medicines and lifestyle changes, but it cannot repair and regenerate its cells. Cirrhosis is a chronic disease of the liver. There is no cure for cirrhosis, but removing the cause can slow the disease.

Question 9

Where do you itch with liver disease?

Accepted Answer

Pruritus or itching is one of the symptoms of chronic liver disease. Since it is a symptom of liver damage, it won't get cured on its own. But it can be treated with medicines. For some people, it is a localised itch in a particular body part, while others have an all-over itch. It’s most commonly associated with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

Question 10

What happens when your liver starts to fail?

Accepted Answer

The life-threatening condition, when the liver loses all its functioning ability due to damaged tissues, is called Liver Failure. Liver failure can be of two types – Acute (the liver stops working within a matter of days or weeks) and Chronic (the damage builds up over time and causes the liver to stop working). At this stage, the treatment options are very limited.

Medication can reverse acute liver failure caused by an acetaminophen overdose. In case liver infection is caused by a virus, the treatment can only address symptoms, until the virus runs its course. In such cases, the liver sometimes recovers on its own. For chronic liver failure, a liver transplant is the best treatment.

Liver Health