Adaptations to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Glossary

Acute liver failure

A loss of liver function that occurs rapidly

Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC)

A staging system for liver cancer based on the number and size of tumours, the spread of the cancer, overall health and liver function

Chemotherapy

A type of cancer treatment using medicine that kills the cancer cells by damaging them, so that they cannot reproduce and spread

Chronic liver failure

A loss of liver function that usually develops over months or years. It is often caused by liver cirrhosis

Coronavirus

A group of viruses that cause disease in mammals and birds but may also affect humans

COVID-19

A disease caused by a type of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2

Decompensated liver

Liver cirrhosis that has progressed to the point where the liver is having trouble functioning and you start having symptoms of the disease

Diabetes

A condition in which the kidneys make a large amount of urine. Usually refers to diabetes mellitus in which there is a high level of sugar in the blood

End-stage (liver function)

Chronic liver failure

Fatigue

Overwhelming tiredness

First-line (treatment)

The initial treatment(s) given to a patient

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

The most common type of liver cancer. Develops in hepatocytes

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)

A virus that causes inflammation of the liver

Hepatocytes

Liver cells

Jaundice

A condition in which the skin and the whites of the eyes become yellow, urine darkens and stools becomes lighter than normal. This occurs when the liver is not working properly or a bile duct is blocked

Liver cirrhosis

A chronic, progressive disease in which liver cells are replaced by scar tissue

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

A type of liver disease caused by a build-up of fat in the liver, which usually affects people who are overweight. NAFLD can lead to serious liver damage, including liver cirrhosis

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

A serious form of NAFLD, in which the liver becomes inflamed

Radiotherapy

Treatment involving the use of high-energy radiation, which is commonly used to treat cancer

Remission

A disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer

Risk factor

Something that increases the chance of developing a disease

Second-line (treatment)

Subsequent treatments given to a patient once the previous therapy has not worked or has been stopped because of the occurrence of side effects or other concerns

Selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT)

A type of radiotherapy in which radioactive microspheres are injected into the blood vessels supplying the liver. These microspheres damage the tumour and the blood vessels it needs to survive

Systemic treatment

Drug treatment such as chemotherapy

Thermal tumour ablation

A procedure using heat to destroy a tumour

Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)

A procedure in which the blood supply to a tumour is blocked after chemotherapy is administered in blood vessels near the tumour

Tumour

A lump or growth of abnormal cells. Tumours may be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). In this guide, the term ‘tumour’ refers to a cancerous growth, unless otherwise stated