Although the hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis is usually poor, there are steps that can be taken to help deal with the symptoms and complications associated with this condition. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a form of cancer that primarily attacks the liver of a patient. They usually occur as a result of a hepatitis infection, but can also occur without a separate primary illness. Those forms that happen as a result of another condition are known as hepatocellular carcinoma paraneoplastic. As with many cancers of the liver, hepatocellular carcinoma is often a result of a cancer spreading from other areas of the body and then infecting the liver. The lowest grade of these types of tumors will often be unnoticed by patients for several years, meaning that the cancer can spread without any visible symptoms.

For hepatocellular carcinoma in patients, there are some symptoms that can be seen as indicators of the condition. The most common single symptom is the development of jaundice, or a general yellowing of the skin. This is often also found in patients with cirrhosis or other liver conditions and a local physician should be consulted to correctly determine which problem is producing the jaundice. Other symptoms that can be common for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients are the following signs: ascites bloating, loss of appetite, abdominal or stomach pains, nausea, excessive tiredness, emesis, or abnormal bruising that can occur with blood clotting irregularities.

The first step in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment is to diagnose the patient with a visit to the local doctor. The doctor will administer several tests to determine if it is a hepatocellular carcinoma paraneoplastic condition or if it has occurred without previous problems. Ultrasound exams will frequently be given because of their low cost. For more advanced cases, the physician will use a CT scan to understand the severity of the cancer. There are three different types of tumors that are generally found: one large tumor, many smaller tumors, or a tumor with an infiltrative growth pattern. This last variety will not have clear definitions as it can spread in many directions.

The specific hepatocellular carcinoma treatment will depend on how severe the condition is in the individual patient. Some patients will be able to limit the problem by a surgical operation to excise the tumor. These operations will typically be followed by radiation therapy to kill the remaining cancerous cells in the body. Other, more acute cases may require a full liver transplant to be completely rid of the cancer. Patients in this situation will need several follow-up tests to make sure the cancer does not come back and cause future problems. For those patients who are able to recognize the condition in adequate time, the hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis is much better than those cases where the cancer has been allowed to spread.

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