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Overview of Hepatitis

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       Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver.

Hepatitis is common throughout the world.

Hepatitis can be

  • Acute (short-lived)

  • Chronic (lasting at least 6 months)

       Most cases of acute hepatitis caused by a virus (acute viral hepatitis) resolve on their own, but some progress to chronic hepatitis.

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Causes

Hepatitis commonly results from

  • A virus, particularly one of the five major hepatitis viruses—A, B, C, D, or E

  • Excessive alcohol intake

  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

  • Use of certain drugs, such as isoniazid (used to treat tuberculosis)

Less commonly, hepatitis results from a reaction of the immune system that causes inflammation of the liver (autoimmune hepatitis), genetic liver disorders, and other infections (such as infectious mononucleosis, herpes simplex, or cytomegalovirus infection).

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Overview of LIVER CANCER

       Your liver is a football-sized organ on the right side of your belly, just below your ribs. It helps you digest food and makes substances that help your body work.

What is liver cancer?

There are 2 kinds of liver cancer:

  • Primary liver cancer: Cancer that started in your liver

  • Metastatic liver cancer: Cancer that started in another organ and spread (metastasized) to your liver

       The most common primary liver cancer in adults is:

  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatoma)

       Other types of primary liver cancer are uncommon or rare.

       Many cancers can spread (metastasize) to the liver. The most common ones are cancers of the colon, breast, lung, and pancreas. Metastatic liver cancer is more common than primary liver cancer.

       If not treated, liver cancers grow and spread and keep the liver from functioning normally. Cancers that start in other organs can spread to the liver and are treated differently from primary liver cancers.

What causes liver cancer?

Liver cancer is more likely to happen in people who:

  • Had hepatitis B or C for a long time

  • Drink too much alcohol

  • Have a lot of fat or scar tissue in their liver

  • Have diabetes

  • Have too much iron in their body

  • Have been exposed to certain molds or chemicals

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Source: www.merckmanuals.com

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