Cirrhosis caused by too much alcohol usage or hepatitis B or C infection is mostly to blame. Up to 80% of primary liver cancers worldwide are caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection. Infection with these viruses can affect you for different years and result in cirrhosis in your liver.
Individuals get infected through physical contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an individual who has the virus in their body.
You can either get infected with the hepatitis B or C virus by:
- Sharing unsterilized needles
- A blood transfusion, if get before 1992
- unprotected sex
Since primary liver cancer caused by viral hepatitis tends to develop slowly over two to three decades, there are some steps you can take to get screened by the Liver Cancer Doctors in India for the infection and prevent it from becoming advanced.
Ways to Prevent Liver Cancer
Following a healthy lifestyle is the ideal way to reduce the risk of liver cancer. Therefore, you should do regular exercises, eat a healthy diet with reduced alcohol consumption, and control weight.
For preventing the risk of developing primary liver cancer, here are the three essential things to follow:
Vaccinate against hepatitis B
If hepatitis B is not treated, it might cause liver scarring, liver cancer, cirrhosis, or liver failure. Thus, you must take proper vaccines for hepatitis B infection to decrease the risk of this condition. To better understand whether or not you’re at a high risk of developing hepatitis B or C infection, you must undergo a screening test.
Suppose you are diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B. In that case, you need to undergo antiviral therapy to decrease the risk of developing liver cancer or slow down the growth of any liver disease. While the hepatitis C vaccine does not exist, patients can get the proper treatment to cure this condition at the Cancer Hospital in Ahmedabad.
In case of chronic hepatitis, you should book an appointment with Cancer Care Specialist in India at Asian Hospital to get proper surveillance with imaging tests like MRI, CT, or ultrasound.
Quit Alcohol Consumption
All alcoholic drinks carry ethanol for metabolizing the liver. Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommends no more than two standard drinks a day for men and no more than one standard drink in a day for women. A usual alcoholic drink is a 100ml glass of wine, a can of regular beer, or one nip of spirit.
Other Risk Factors for Liver Cancer
Despite infection with severe hepatitis B and C, the following situations increase the risk of developing liver cancer as per the Liver Cancer Doctors in India.
Exposure to arsenic
This commonly occurring substance is often found in drinking water. It is also a part of vinyl chloride, a chemical utilized to make certain plastics that can increase your risk for liver cancer.
Ingestion of aflatoxin
Aflatoxin is generated by specific types of mold in improperly stored grains and nuts.
Too much consumption of male hormones or anabolic steroids
It builds muscle but is considered a risk factor.
Primary Liver Cancer Screening
Liver cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis B are likely to promote liver scarring or inflammation, which leads to liver cancer. With an accurate liver surveillance program by an Oncologist Surgeon in India and regular screening tests, you can identify liver cancer at an early stage. When the disease is identified at an early stage, you have more chances of treating cancer.
Doctors often perform imaging tests to determine how well cancer responds to treatment and if the cancer is spreading despite treatment.
For more information on liver cancer, speak with a Liver Cancer Doctors in India at Asian Hospital who have broad experience in diagnosing and treating liver cancer at the best Cancer Centers in Ahmedabad.
