'Tennis Ball-Sized' Tumour In Dipika Kakar’s Liver Confirmed As Stage 2 Cancer: 7 Key Risk Factors Explained

Popular television actress Dipika Kakar, widely known for her role in the soap opera Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum (2019), was recently diagnosed with a 'tennis ball-sized' liver tumour.

The news was revealed by her husband, actor Shoaib Ibrahim, on his YouTube channel on May 15.

Also read: Dipika Kakar Diagnosed With ‘Tennis Ball-Sized’ Liver Tumour, What You Should Know About Liver Health

Dipika Kakar battles second-stage Malignant Cancer

Following further examination, in a recent Instagram update shared on May 27, Dipika revealed that she has been diagnosed with second-stage Malignant Cancer.

“As you all are aware, the last few weeks have been quite difficult for us… walking into the hospital for a pain in the upper area of my stomach… and then finding out it’s a tennis ball-sized tumour in the liver and then finding out that the tumour is Second stage Malignant (Cancerous)… it has been one of the most difficult times we have seen, experienced!” she shared the news in a text-based photo, captioning the post “Keep Me In Your Prayers.”

7 risk factors causing liver cancer

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), certain rare medical conditions, such as Wilson's disease and untreated hereditary hemochromatosis, can lead to liver cancer. However, below are some of the more common risk factors you should not ignore in order to reduce your risk of this life-threatening disease.

• Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection
• Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection
• Cirrhosis
• Heavy alcohol use
• Aflatoxin B1
• Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
• Cigarette smoking

What causes liver tumours?

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, cancerous (malignant) tumours originate in the liver itself or are spread from cancer sites elsewhere in the body.

“Chronic infection with hepatitis B and C increases the risk of developing this type of cancer. Other causes include certain chemicals, alcoholism, and chronic liver cirrhosis,” states Hopkins.