Decision Influences Chart
Influences
Media
(magazines, newspapers,
billboards, advertising, tv,
radio, videos, film,
promotions, etc)
Technological/Medical
Advances
(computer, research
studies, new medicines or
procedures, etc)
Interpersonal
Communications
(family, friends, peers,
co-workers, teachers, etc)
Immediate Risks
Examples
Media has both positive and negative influences on peoples knowledge about
liver cancer. While things that contribute to the cause of liver cancer are
promoted and advertised everywhere, like drinking alcohol and unhealthy
eating, there are also informative and helpful things in the media about liver
cancer. An example of negative media that contributes to liver cancer is the
advertisement of alcohol.
Studies have also concluded that alcohol advertising leads to increased
morbidity and mortality associated with alcohol.
(AAFP)
In markets across the US, increased alcohol advertising exposure and dollars
spent on these ads on television increased the consumption of alcoholic
beverages among youth and young adults. It is not surprising that underage
drinkers consume about 25 percent of all alcohol in the United States. (AAFP)
Alcohol increases your risk for liver cancer, as we know, and the growth in
underage drinking due to alcohol advertisements is definitely going to affect the
health of these youth when they grow up.
Theres many new technological advances that are helping patients with liver
cancer. One new technology being used is transarterial chemoembolization, or
TACE.
The effectiveness of TACE in battling HCC is due to the unique vasculature of
the liver, which has a dual blood supply courtesy of the hepatic artery and the
portal vein.
Advancements in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are improving the
odds for patients with a common type of liver cancer, according to researchers
who have been studying the procedure for more than a decade. (RSNA)
Another new and still considered experimental procedure is Laparoscopic
surgery.
In laparoscopic surgery, several small incisions are made in the abdomen, and
special long, thin surgical instruments are inserted to view and cut out the
diseased portion of the liver (American Cancer Society.) This procedure could
potentially help many more patients with liver cancer.
Having cancer or knowing somebody with cancer has and takes an emotional
toll on yourself, friends, family, peers, everyone close to you. There are many
ways to cope and to help those who care for you, such as support groups and
therapy.
A certain amount of distress is normal when you or a family member has
cancer. (American Cancer Society)
Everyone has a different style when it comes to coping with the emotional roller
coaster of cancer. (American Cancer Society)
Immediate risks or effects of liver cancer are common symptoms that are
shown soon after developing liver cancer. feeling sick
losing your appetite, feeling worn out, losing weight, yellow colouring in the
 whites of the eyes and the skin, itchy skin swollen abdomen. (Mayo Clinic)

Liver cancer is not necessarily painful. This is because there are no nerve
endings in the liver itself. Some people do have pain because the liver has got
bigger and stretched its covering. The covering does have nerves. This pain will
be in the upper right abdomen (Cancer Research UK)

Long-Term Risks Long term risks and effects of liver cancer can be anything from serious surgery
to, in some cases, death.
Treatment options may include: Surgery (partial hepatectomy or liver
transplant), Tumor ablation,Tumor embolization, Radiation therapy, Targeted
therapy, Chemotherapy (Cancer.org)

Depending on the type and age of the cancer, survival rates of liver cancer can
vary.
Their overall 5-year survival is over 50%. For people with early-stage liver
cancers who have a liver transplant, the 5-year survival rate is in the range of
60% to 70%.
The 5-year relative survival rate for people with localized liver cancer is about
31%. For regional stage liver cancer, the 5-year survival rate is about 11%. The
5-year relative survival rate for distant stage liver cancer is about 3%.
(American Cancer Society)
Interconnections Chart Between the CDCs Health Priority Areas

Directions: Use specific quotes or facts to explain how the priority areas are interconnected with the topic of
your in-depth study. Be sure to cite each fact. You must find and use two cited facts per section on this chart.

Priority Area How it Affects or is Affected By Your Topic

Tobacco Use Use of tobacco or smoking cigarettes has been proven to be a contributing risk
factor to liver damage and development of liver cancers. Risk of liver cancer is
exponentially higher for smokers with an already present liver disease.
Smoking induces three major adverse effects on the liver: toxic effects either
direct or indirect, immunological effects and oncogenic effects. (PMC)

Lighting a cigarette creates over 4000 harmful chemicals with hazardous adverse
effects on almost every organ in the body. The impact of heavy smoking on the
pathogenesis of liver disease and response to interferon therapy among chronic
hepatitis patients has been overlooked. (PMC)

Intentional or Some people with certain diseases are more prone to developing liver cancer.
Unintentional Injuries HBV and Hep C being the leading diseases in causing the cancer. The second
(diseases and mental largest health issues known to cause liver cancer is obesity and diabetes.
health issues)
HIV/STI, Unintended
Pregnancy
(or other sexuality issues)
Drug and Alcohol Use
Healthful Nutrition and
Dietary Practices
People with this blood sugar disorder have a greater risk of liver cancer than
those who don't have diabetes. (mayo clinic)
Other liver diseases can cause liver cancer as well.
Liver diseases that can increase the risk of liver cancer include hemochromatosis
and Wilson's disease. (mayo clinic)
Hepatitis B and C viruses, which have the potential to be spread through sexual
contact, have been proven to be a big risk for liver cancer.
People with hepatitis B and hepatitis C have the greatest risk of liver cancer. In
the U.S., approximately 65 percent of liver cancer cases are related to hepatitis B
or C, with nearly 50 percent attributable to hepatitis C alone. (CDC)
According to studies by Pubmed.gov, HCV related liver cancer is a greater
possibility than an alcohol caused cancer.
The risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is greater in HCV-related
cirrhosis than in alcoholic cirrhosis. (pubmed.gov)
Heavy alcohol use is very damaging to the liver, and can cause liver cancer in
some cases.
Long-term alcohol use has been linked to an increased risk of liver cancer.
Regular, heavy alcohol use can damage the liver, leading to inflammation. This, in
turn, might raise the risk of liver cancer. (American Cancer Society)
Alcohol itself is directly toxic to liver cells. In addition, alcohol abuse is a major
cause of cirrhosis, a gradual form of liver damage in which scar tissue replaces
healthy tissue, causing the liver to malfunction.
A study in the American Journal of Public Health concluded that alcohol use
accounted for approximately 3.5 percent of all cancer deaths in 2009-2010.
(Dana Farber Cancer Institute)
A healthy diet is highly recommended and very helpful to liver cancer patients.
Various study concludes that there are eating patterns and habits that have been
proven to positively impact patients of liver cancer.
One of the best things you can do after cancer treatment is to start healthy eating
habits. (American Cancer Society)
Dietary Therapy has been a known factor in curing liver cancer. PubMed explains
how this therapy works:
The therapy consists of high potassium, low sodium diet, with no fats or oils, and
minimal animal proteins. Juices of raw fruits and vegetables and of raw liver
provide active oxidizing enzymes which facilitate rehabilitation of the liver. Iodine
 and niacin supplementation is used. Caffeine enemas cause dilation of bile ducts,
which facilitates excretion of toxic cancer breakdown products by the liver and
dialysis of toxic products from blood across the colonic wall. The therapy must be
used as an integrated whole. Parts of the therapy used in isolation will not be
successful. This therapy has cured many cases of advanced cancer.

Physical Fitness (care of Since obesity is a large risk factor for developing liver cancer, physical fitness is
the body) important in preventing it.
Obesity and diabetes are closely associated with a type of liver abnormality called
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that may increase the risk of liver cancer

According to the American Cancer Society,

Studies have shown that patients who follow an exercise program tailored to their
personal needs feel better physically and emotionally and can cope better, too.

Physical fitness is not only important in lowering your risk for liver cancer, but also
for cancer patients. Care of your body is vital in dealing with and recovering from
liver cancer.
"Leisure-time physical activity is known to reduce risks of heart disease and risk of
death from all causes, and our study demonstrates that it is also associated with
lower risks of many types of cancer," (National Cancer Institute)