| The liver is a very important organ that performs a | | | | are affected, and a person's life span is also reduced. |
| variety of functions in the human body. Being a large | | | | Liver Cancer |
| organ, the liver can cope with small damages. If the | | | | Liver cancer is usually a secondary development. |
| damage is left untreated, it can worsen the condition | | | | Tumors of the lung, colon, pancreas, or stomach can |
| of the liver and prevent it from functioning. Severe | | | | spread to the liver. Tumors of the liver are either |
| damage to the liver can result in liver failure and | | | | benign or malignant. Malignant, or cancerous, tumors |
| death. Some of the conditions that can lead to death | | | | of the liver are of two kinds - hepatoma and |
| from liver disease are alcoholism, liver cancer, | | | | cholangiocarcinoma. A hepatoma is a tumor that |
| cirrhosis, and viral hepatitis. | | | | grows in the liver and invades normal tissue. |
| Alcoholism | | | | Cholangiocarcinoma is cancer of the bile duct cells. |
| Prolonged use of alcohol can cause a variety of | | | | Advanced stages of liver cancer lead to death. |
| mental and physical conditions. Consumption of alcohol | | | | Cirrhosis |
| affects the liver and other organs. There are three | | | | Scarring of normal tissue and inflammation of the liver |
| stages of alcoholic liver disease. First, a fatty liver | | | | leads to cirrhosis. It is one of the top ten diseases in |
| develops in heavy drinkers. Liver functions do not | | | | the world that causes death. |
| deteriorate at this stage and this condition can be | | | | Viral Hepatitis |
| reversed if alcohol is not consumed. The second | | | | Any of the following viruses can affect the liver and |
| stage is alcoholic hepatitis where the patient may | | | | cause death: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, |
| develop jaundice. The effects can be reversed at | | | | Hepatitis D, Hepatitis E, and Hepatitis X. Among these |
| this stage if further consumption of alcohol is | | | | types A, B and C are the main types of viral |
| stopped and treatment is taken. The final stage is | | | | hepatitis. Around 40-60% of liver disease deaths are |
| cirrhosis of the liver, which is irreversible and severely | | | | due to Hepatitis. |
| damages the liver. As a result, functions of the liver | | | | |