Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) – Liver Cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of liver cancer, specifically the liver cells. In the early stages HCC might not cause any symptoms, however later it can cause some symptoms but these can often be overlooked.

According to Liver Cancer UK around 3,600 people are diagnosed with HCC each year in the UK and around four times as many men get it as women. It is known as the third most common cancer globally but is relatively rare in the UK.

A mixture of medical history, blood tests, scans and occasionally a biopsy is used to diagnose HCC. A system is used to understand what stage of HCC a person has and treatment will depend on many factors such as the size of the tumour and how far it has spread in the body. In earlier stages of HCC it might be possible to remove the tumour (called resection). Treatment might be given to try to ‘shrink’ the tumours, or a liver transplant may be needed.

Take a look at this information about mental wellbeing and HCC from Liver Cancer UK: Mental wellbeing – Liver Cancer UK

Mind also offer support and information for mental health: Home – Mind