Cancer’s sneaky trick: attacking the liver
Cancer can do some tricky things. One of those things is sending bad molecules into your blood.
These molecules can cause your liver to become sick and not work properly.
This new discovery was made by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Why is that important?
This discovery shows how cancer can help itself stay alive and grow. It also gives scientists ideas for new tests and treatments. They could be used to detect and fix this problem early.
Cancer and Your Liver
In their study, the scientists found that many types of tumors can make your liver sick, even if they aren’t in your liver. They do this by sending tiny particles called EVPs into your blood.
These particles contain fats that make your liver sick. The scientists saw this in animals with cancer and in humans with cancer.
What does that mean?
dr David Lyden, one of the study’s leaders, said: “Our study shows that tumors can cause problems in other parts of your body, such as your liver. But we also believe that we can treat these problems in the future.”
dr Lyden and his team have long studied how cancer affects the entire body. They found that cancer has many tricks to help it grow and spread.
More about the tricks of cancer
In 2015, the team found that some cancers can prime your liver to support the growth of new tumors. To do this, they send special molecules to your liver.
These molecules are carried in tiny particles that travel in your blood.
In their new study, the scientists found another trick cancer uses. It can change your liver to store more fat. This makes it appear as if your liver is suffering from a disease called fatty liver.
What happens to the liver?
The liver changes in many ways when it is attacked by cancer. It stores more fat and becomes inflamed, meaning it becomes irritated and swollen.
The breakdown of drugs also becomes worse, which could be the reason why some cancer patients have difficulties with chemotherapy.
The scientists found that cancer’s EVPs contain a specific type of fat called palmitic acid. This fat causes changes in the liver.
New findings in patients
The scientists also found that people with cancer had these changes in their liver even if they didn’t have cancer in their liver. This suggests that cancer can use various tricks to change your liver.
Why does cancer do this?
Scientists think cancer may alter your liver to receive more energy. By storing more fat, the liver can provide more energy to the cancer.
dr Robert Schwartz, another study leader, said: “The liver doesn’t just store more fat. It also changes the way fat is used, which helps cancer.”
A weaker immune system
This trick could also weaken your immune system. This part of your body fights diseases like cancer. When your immune system is weaker, it cannot fight cancer as well.
Find a solution
The scientists managed to prevent the cancer from changing the liver in animals. They used various methods, such as blocking the EVPs, stopping palmitic acid, or eliminating certain cells in the liver.
Now they are studying the application of these methods to humans. They also believe that detecting palmitic acid in the blood could be a warning sign of cancer. This could help doctors detect cancer earlier and treat it better.
If liver health is important to you, please read studies on it dairy products linked to liver cancer, And Coffee drinkers can cut their risk of liver cancer in half.
For more information on liver health, see recent studies Eating an anti-inflammatory diet may help prevent fatty liver diseaseand results are displayed Vitamin D may help prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
The study was published in the nature.
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