Indian cricketer Rinku Singh's father, Khachandra Singh, passed away on Friday after a long battle with Stage 4 liver cancer. As his condition deteriorated, Khachandra Singh was placed on ventilator support earlier this week and was administered continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).
Rinku had returned to the T20 World Cup squad when the heartbreaking news came. After initially travelling home when his father's condition worsened ahead of India's Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe, Rinku rejoined the Chennai squad.
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At the heart of Rinku’s personal struggle was his father’s diagnosis of Stage 4 liver cancer. This advanced and aggressive malignancy had already begun spreading to distant organs and overwhelming his body's vital functions.
What's Stage 4 liver cancer?
In the medical world, Stage 4 is often referred to as a Metastatic Liver Cancer. This means the cancer is no longer localised; it has moved beyond the liver to other critical areas.
Stage 4 liver cancer is divided into two stages: stage 4A and stage 4B.
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Stage 4A liver cancer is defined by the presence of one or more tumours of any size that may have invaded nearby blood vessels or adjacent organs. At this stage, the malignancy has spread to the regional lymph nodes but has not yet reached distant parts of the body.
While in stage 4B, the cancer is any size, and there may be more than one tumour. It may have grown into blood vessels or the organs around the liver. It may or may not have spread into the lymph nodes. It has spread to another part of the body, such as the lungs or bones.
What are the treatments for Stage 4 liver cancer?
When the liver cancer is advanced, there are no treatments to cure it, but medications and therapy can help manage the cancer.
Targeted cancer drugs work by targeting the differences in cancer cells that help them to grow and survive. Other drugs help the immune system attack cancer. They are called immunotherapies.
Treatment may involve a single medication or a combination of specialised drugs. Common therapies include the dual-drug regimen of atezolizumab and bevacizumab, or individual targeted treatments like lenvatinib and sorafenib.