Dipika Kakar diagnosed with tennis ball-sized liver tumour; experts reveal what it could mean for cancer risk

Dipika Kakar, the 'Sasural Simar Ka' actress, has been diagnosed with a 'tennis ball-sized' liver tumour. On Thursday, Shoaib Ibrahim, her husband, took to his Instagram story to share the news with her fans.

In the post, he informed her well-wishers that she will be hospitalised again for surgery soon. Shoaib also attached a link to his YouTube channel, where he explained in detail about Dipika's condition.

Shoaib broke the news about Dipika's health via a vlog on his YouTube channel, which he captioned, 'Need your prayers'.

Credit: X

Shoaib Ibrahim shares what happened to Dipika

In the video, Shoaib expressed himself and told his followers that he had some difficult news to share. He started speaking up in Hindi and said Dipika is not well, as there is a serious stomach issue.

Dipika started having pain in her stomach when he was in Chandigarh; however, they initially thought that the pain was due to acidity, but when it did not go away, she consulted their family doctor.

The doctor checked her, and he put her on some antibiotics and suggested some blood tests. "She was on antibiotics till May 5... After my father¡¯s birthday, she once again started experiencing pain, and the blood test showed an infection in her body," he added.

Credit: Instagram

Dipika Kakar diagnosed with a liver tumour

Shoaib went on to say that after several tests, it was discovered that Dipika has been diagnosed with a tumour in the liver. He also mentioned that their doctor asked them to visit again, and he showed them a CT scan, which showed that Dipika has a tumour in the left lobe of her liver.

"It is bigger in size, like a tennis ball. It was very shocking for us," Shoaib said. He went on to reveal that Dipika was hospitalised immediately for some more tests and also to check if the tumour is cancerous.

But how does a tumour occur in the liver? "A tennis ball-sized liver tumour occurs when abnormal liver cells multiply uncontrollably. This may start as a small growth and increase in size over time without causing symptoms," says Dr. Shrey Srivastava, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine at Sharda Hospital.

Is it cancer? Here's what doctors say

As the tumour progresses, it may lead to symptoms such as pain in the abdomen, loss of weight, or tiredness. Dr. Srivastava added, "Most of these tumours are detected during imaging examinations that are performed for other reasons since liver tumours don't have an early symptom that can prompt investigations." Hence, they can increase to the size of a tennis ball without anyone knowing.

Tumours of the liver can either be benign or cancerous, with the most frequent type of liver cancer being hepatocellular carcinoma. "Liver tumours may be either benign or malignant, and hepatocellular carcinoma is the most frequent type of liver cancer," points out Dr. Anil Thakwani, Director of Oncology, Sharda Hospital at Greater Noida.

"Causes range from chronic hepatitis B- or C-induced liver inflammation, alcohol, non-alcoholic fatty liver, or toxin exposure such as aflatoxins," he added.

Symptoms of liver tumours you should know

As the tumour advances, it may lead to abdominal pain, loss of weight, or tiredness. According to Dr. Thakwani, "In many cases, the tumours are found incidentally during imaging tests performed for some other reason because liver tumours can be symptomless until advanced to the point of being similar in size to a tennis ball."

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