Liver Cancer Survival Rate - Dare To Know Your Chances
A liver cancer survival rate refers to the percentage of people who were reported still living after being diagnosed with the cancer about 5 yrs ago.
A liver cancer survival rate is not a definitive indicator of what will happen to a patient, but they can - at best - predict the likelihood of a patient to survive if a certain treatment plan was used basing on what has happened to other patients in similar circumstances.
There are two types of cancer of the liver - primary liver cancer that begins in the liver tissue and cancer metastasis, which is a secondary type of this cancer that originates elsewhere in the body and then spreads to the liver. Cancer cells can easily travel to the liver because of its role in filtering the blood. It is most commonly spread in the colon, breast, pancreas, stomach or lungs.
The liver cancer survival rate is rather low, because the disease can go undetected for some time before indications of the cancer surface. The mean age of diagnosis is at 60 years and more than half of patients are men.
The worldwide general rate of survival for cancer patients indicate that only 7% of the cases reach the milestone of 5 years after diagnosis and if compared to other types of cancer, that is quite low. In cases where cancer has been surgically removed, 75% survive for 1 year, 50% for 3 years and 30% for 5 years.
The rates of survival are high in cases of primary cancer patient who have undergone liver transplant. The rate could go up to 75% in 5 years. Liver transplant in the cases where the cancer has already metastasized is pretty hopeless. The rate of survival could be as low as zero since it is only a matter of time before the cancer spreads to the new organ.
The only way to improve the rates of survival is by understanding the risk factors that could worsen the disease progression if the symptoms are not detected early. Obviously, this would mean that candidates at high risk should have regular ultrasounds and blood tests to check the level of liver enzymes. This is important because we need to constantly monitor the status of your liver - whether it's still functioning at normal/optimal level or not.
Your liver is a very important organ in your body. In Chinese and Asian medicine, the liver is considered the most important organ - even more vital than your heart or your brain.
