The liver varies in size and shape, so cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular disease can vary in causes and symptoms from person to person. The liver has many functions other than just metabolizing foods eaten, it also helps with combinations of proteins, bile, and nutrients entering the body. The main liver cell is called hepatocyte, which results in hepatocellular disease when the blood is not filtered correctly in and out of the liver to other intestines.

Liver disease can result in cirrhosis of liver but it can also result in hepatocellular carcinoma, cancer of the liver. The hepatocyte cells in the liver make up 80 percent of the liver and 90 to 95 percent of liver cancers come from these cells. Hepatocellular carcinoma usually originates from other organs in the body and spread to the liver. The organs usually hit with carcinoma first are the colon, stomach, pancreas, breast and lungs. Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world and is fatal disease as well. The world Health Organization estimates that there were about 430,000 new causes of liver cancer since 1990, worldwide and this high number was about the same amount of people who also died from hepatocellular carcinoma.

Causes of cirrhosis of liver can range from alcohol consumption to inherited disorders from past family members. In between this range are causes such as hepatitis, biliary cirrhosis (injury to the bile system in the body), nonalcholoic fatty liver disease, and cardiac cirrhosis. So it is not just heavy drinkers getting liver cirrhosis, there are many other ways originating the disease.

The goal of researchers that is developing right now is to catch liver disease in a person in the beginning stages before it turns to cirrhosis, which is an ending stage disease when there is a poor diagnosis to the disease to begin with. Liver cirrhosis symptoms could be tricky to catch which is why most result in cirrhosis of the liver. There may be subtle to no  liver disease symptoms at all for many years. If any liver disease symptoms occur at all they many be something like yellowing of the skin and eyes, becoming very lethargic, and spidery veins underneath the skin. While these symptoms are very subtle, liver damage can also be tested through blood test results. There are standard blood tests you can receive from your doctor testing the liver enzymes and dysfunction of the liver.

There are many drugs to help the liver cirrhosis symptoms from turning into anything worse. One main treatment is to diagnose liver disease earlier so later it does not require a liver transplant, or liver failure. Drugs offered for liver disease symptoms include the reduction of the inflammation that creates liver problems, this drug helps more with cirrhosis caused by hepatitis and less helpful to alcohol related cirrhosis. There is another drug that replaces your lost bile acids and may stop the progression of the disease. Side effects are very rare with these drugs. So check with your doctor, and get blood test to insure your health in cirrhosis of the liver and hepatocellular disease.