The liver forms part of the gastrointestinal system, which is responsible for breaking down food into smaller parts that can be used by cells. The liver is located in the abdomen, below the ribcage. It is a large organ with many different functions, including: (1)
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Production and secretion of bile and bile salts to help digestion and absorption.
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Production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I).
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Production of clotting factors.
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Release of glucose into the blood to provide energy for cells.
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Production of urea, a waste product.
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Cholesterol production.
Behind the liver there’s a small organ called the gallbladder, which function’s to store bile produced by the liver and empty it into the small intestine to aid digestion and absorption. (2)
The large number of different cell types in the liver makes it vulnerable to the formation of more than one type of cancer. As with tumors that form in any other locations, these can be either invasive (malignant) or contained (benign).(3)
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