liver and hemangenomas

[KathyV]

Can someone tell me what the symptoms would be to someone that gets liver cancer.   one other question can hemangenoma on the liver that you have been told are not cancer later turn into cancer

[rthornton]

By the way, have you been to the doctor?  I remember you were having some pain earlier this month.  I think it sounds like you are trying to diagnose yourself and you have jumped to the conclusion that you have the worst possible thing you could find!  Don't do this, dear.  You probably have something that is more common and less serious...get to the doctor and they can do blood tests to see what is going on and then move on from there.  I know you are scared...I have been there!  But going to the doc really will help!

Rebecca

[rthornton]

I don't think hemangiomas generally turn into cancer.  I have one on my liver.  They are harmless.  I think there can be bleeding problems with them if they are disturbed...that is why they don't bother to try to remove them.  I had a liver biopsy and the only concern about the hemangioma was that they avoid it during the procedure...it was not at all the reason they did the biopsy.  This was no problem at all...my hemangioma is pretty small.  If this is your only concern, I don't think you should give it a second thought. :-)

Rebecca

[imkindly]

Here's two more pages you might want to look at

This one explains blood tests (including AFP and CEA):
http://www.livercancer.com/diagnosis/blood.html

This one has liver cancer questions and answers:
http://www3.mdanderson.org/DEPARTMENTS/liver/qa.htm

Hope this helps

[imkindly]

Hi KathyV
Liver cancer is usually detected through blood tests for "tumor markers" --- example: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

Here's a page that might be helpful

http://www.mayo.edu/mcs/Medical_Specialties/Gastroenterology/Liver_Cancer/Diagnosis.html