Diagnosis and Treatment, Featured, Liver Cancer, Prevention and Screening

Treating liver cancer

By Nicole Ferrara • October 2, 2024
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

By Sonya Goins

Editor's note: October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month.

Liver cancer rates have more than tripled in the U.S. since 1980 and continue to rise. More than 41,000 people will be diagnosed with liver cancer in the U.S. this year, and more than 29,000 people will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

Lionel Kankeu Fonkoua, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center medical oncologist, discusses prevention and treatment.

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The most common form of primary liver cancer — cancer that starts in the liver — is called hepatocellular carcinoma. This type of cancer often develops in people with chronic liver diseases, such as hepatitis.

"It’s due to a chronic inflammation that leads to liver damage, cirrhosis and eventually to cancer," says Dr. Kankeu Fonkoua.

Most people don't have symptoms in the early stages of primary liver cancer. But when symptoms do appear, they may include:

  • Yellowing of the eyes and skin.
  • Unexpected weight loss.
  • Upper abdominal pain.
  • White, chalky stools.

Liver cancer treatments

Several promising treatments to manage the disease include targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

"Immunotherapy is kind of a novel type of cancer treatment that is designed to boost your immune system to attack the cancer," explains Dr. Kankeu Fonkoua.

Eating a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol consumption, and getting vaccinated against hepatitis B can reduce your risk of liver cancer.

"The hope is that we can trigger a tumor specific immune response for every patient,” says Dr. Kankeu Fonkoua.

Learn more

Learn more about liver cancer and find a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic.

Join the Liver Cancer Support Group on Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community moderated by Mayo Clinic for patients and caregivers.

Also, read these articles:

A version of this article was originally published on the Mayo Clinic News Network.

cirrhosis Diagnosis and Treatment Dr. Lionel Kankeu Fonkoua Featured hepatitis hepatocellular carcinoma Liver Cancer Prevention and Screening
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