maksakasvainten

Maksakasvainten is the Finnish term for liver tumors, a heterogeneous group of growths in the liver tissue. They can be benign or malignant and may be discovered incidentally during imaging.

Benign examples include hemangioma (the most common), focal nodular hyperplasia, hepatic adenoma, and biliary hamartoma. Malignant primary liver cancers include hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Liver metastases from other cancers are also a common cause of liver tumors in clinical practice.

Risk factors for maksakasvainten reflect liver health and cancer risk in general. Chronic liver disease such as cirrhosis and infection with hepatitis B or C increase risk, as do heavy alcohol use and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Other factors include obesity, diabetes, aflatoxin exposure, certain genetic conditions, age, and sex.

Many maksakasvainten are asymptomatic. When present, symptoms may include abdominal pain or fullness, early satiety, weight loss, or jaundice, usually due to tumor growth or impaired liver function. Diagnosis relies on imaging, with ultrasound often used initially and CT or MRI used to characterize lesions. Blood tests, including liver function tests and tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), support evaluation. Biopsy may be used in selected cases to distinguish benign from malignant lesions.

Treatment depends on the type and extent of the tumor. Benign lesions are often monitored, though hepatic adenomas may be resected if there is rupture risk. Malignant tumors may be addressed with surgical resection, ablation, transarterial therapies (such as TACE or radioembolization), systemic therapies, or liver transplantation in select hepatocellular carcinoma cases. Prognosis varies widely by tumor type and stage. The term maksakasvainten is primarily used in Finnish clinical context, with international terminology referring to hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, hepatic hemangioma, and related conditions.