Liver ablation surgery is a procedure that destroys liver tumors without surgically removing them. Although ablation techniques are less likely to cure cancer than surgery, they can be helpful for people who are unfit for major surgery. Liver ablation treatments may also sometimes be used in patients waiting for a liver transplant. Read more: What Is Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Tumors? Article
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
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Liver Health: 14 Best and Worst Foods for Your Liver
Get some simple diet tips to keep your liver healthy, including the best veggies to keep disease away and some snacks you'll want...
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Hepatitis: Surprising Things That Can Damage Your Liver
Alcohol and acetaminophen are well-known liver dangers, but what else can be harmful? WebMD says some of them may surprise you.
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Fatty Liver Disease: Nonalcoholic, Alcoholic Symptoms and Treatment
You can treat fatty liver disease with diet and exercise. Learn the signs and symptoms of fatty liver disease, whether it is...
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Liver Quiz
Do you know the symptoms of liver disease? What is hepatitis? Take this quiz to learn about your liver and how to keep it healthy.
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Liver Disease Quiz: Fatty Liver Disease, Cirrhosis & Symptoms
What is liver disease? Take the Liver Disease Quiz and test your knowledge about this organ and its function.
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Picture of Liver
Front View of the Liver. The liver is a large, meaty organ that sits on the right side of the belly. See a picture of the Liver...
QUESTION
Long-term heavy alcohol consumption can cause: See AnswerRelated Disease Conditions
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Liver Disease
Liver disease can be cause by a variety of things including infection (hepatitis), diseases, for example, gallstones, high cholesterol or triglycerides, blood flow obstruction to the liver, and toxins (medications and chemicals). Symptoms of liver disease depends upon the cause and may include nausea, vomiting, upper right abdominal pain, and jaundice. Treatment depends upon the cause of the liver disease.
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Cirrhosis (Liver)
Cirrhosis of the liver refers to a disease in which normal liver cells are replaced by scar tissue caused by alcohol and viral hepatitis B and C. This disease leads to abnormalities in the liver's ability to handle toxins and blood flow, causing internal bleeding, kidney failure, mental confusion, coma, body fluid accumulation, and frequent infections. Symptoms include yellowing of the skin (jaundice), itching, and fatigue. The prognosis is good for some people with cirrhosis of the liver, and the survival can be up to 12 years; however the life expectancy is about 6 months to 2 years for people with severe cirrhosis with major complications.
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Liver (Anatomy and Function)
The liver is the largest gland and organ in the body. There are a variety of liver diseases caused by liver inflammation, scarring of the liver, infection of the liver, gallstones, cancer, toxins, genetic diseases, and blood flow problems. Symptoms of liver disease generally do not occur until the liver disease is advanced. Some symptoms of liver disease include jaundice, nausea and vomiting, easy bruising, bleeding excessively, fatigue, weakness, weight loss, shortness of breath, leg swelling, impotence, and confusion. Treatment of diseases of the liver depends on the cause.
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Drug-Induced Liver Disease
Drug-induced liver diseases are diseases of the liver that are caused by physician-prescribed medications, OTC medications, vitamins, hormones, herbs, illicit (recreational) drugs, and environmental toxins. Read about the signs and symptoms of drug-induced liver disease like hepatitis (inflammation of the liver cells), liver disease treatment, and types.
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Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is cancer of the liver cells (hepatocellular carcinoma) or of the ducts in the liver (cholangiocarcinoma). Liver cancer often arises due to liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring) caused by alcohol use/abuse, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C. Liver cancer may not cause any symptoms. Liver cancer is diagnosed with blood tests, imaging tests, and a liver biopsy. Treatment for liver cancer may include surgery, ablation, embolization, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.
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What Is the Ablation Procedure?
An ablation procedure is a minimally invasive procedure. It is used to destroy layers of abnormal tissues in various parts of the body using lasers or cold. Ablation can be done for cosmetic reasons (on the skin for brightening, wart removal and tattoo removal) or treating serious disorders (heart ablation to treat abnormal rhythm or uterine ablation for fibroids).
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Liver Cancer (Hepatocellular Cancer) Prevention
Avoiding certain risk factors (such as hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis, and aflatoxin) can lower one's risk of developing liver cancer. Getting the hepatitis B vaccine is a protective factor against liver cancer.
Treatment & Diagnosis
- Liver Blood Tests
- How Long Can You Live With Liver Cancer?
- How Is a Transjugular Liver Biopsy Done?
- Liver Biopsy
- Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) of the Liver
- Liver Transplant
- What Is Liver Resection?
- Percutaneous Ethanol (Alcohol) Injection of Liver
- Proton Beam Therapy of Liver
- What Can a Liver Biopsy Diagnose?
- Liver-Related Procedures and Tests
- Arterial Chemotherapy Infusion & Chemoembolization of Liver
- How Does a Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) Work?
- Liver Disease FAQs
- Get to Know Your Liver FAQs
- Stage IV Colon Cancer That Has Spread to the Liver
- Liver Trauma from Mountain Biking
- Smoking With Liver Disease - A No-No
- Shelley Fabares: Illness and Liver Transplant
- What Liver Problems Does HIV Cause?
- What is acute fatty liver of pregnancy?
- Does Methotrexate Cause Liver Damage?
- Liver Cancer Diagnosis
- Liver Cancer Treatment
Medications & Supplements
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