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Liu Liang
Oncology
About me
Loudi Central Hospital, Oncology Department, attending physician, has been engaged in clinical work in the field of oncology for many years, and has rich clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of oncologic diseases.
Proficient in diseases
Specializes in common diseases such as lung cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and lymphoma.
Voices
Is prostate cancer prone to metastasis?
Bone metastasis in prostate cancer is very common clinically, and most prostate cancer patients are often diagnosed with multiple bone metastases, making bone metastasis very likely in prostate cancer. However, metastasis to other organs, such as distant organs like the lungs and liver, can also occur, but they are relatively rare. It is usually patients with very advanced prostate cancer who might experience metastases to other distant organs. Additionally, it is common for there to be local spread and invasion in the pelvic area, such as invasion into pelvic organs like the bladder and rectum.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Patients with early-stage prostate cancer do not exhibit obvious clinical symptoms. In the advanced stage of the disease, symptoms such as obstruction of the bladder outlet or the ureters can occur, manifesting as difficulty urinating, poor urine flow, frequent urination, hematuria, or purulent urine. Additionally, most prostate cancer patients are prone to multiple bone metastases, which cause pain at the sites of metastasis. This is also a common clinical symptom.
How to Test for Prostate Cancer
For the examination of prostate cancer, the first and very important method is the digital rectal examination, which can also serve as a screening method for prostate cancer. If a prostate lump is detected through digital rectal examination, it is necessary to perform a biopsy via transrectal or perineal puncture, as the puncture biopsy is considered the gold standard for confirming prostate cancer. Clinically, the tumor marker PSA for prostate cancer is also combined, which has great clinical significance as it is the most specific and sensitive tumor marker for prostate cancer. Therefore, prostate cancer can be diagnosed by combining the PSA test with digital rectal examination and puncture biopsy.
Can ovarian cancer be contagious?
Ovarian cancer is not contagious, so it does not spread through bodily fluids, the blood or respiratory tract of the patient, or sexual activity. It will not transmit to others via these routes. Malignant tumors are not contagious. The diseases we commonly refer to as contagious are called infectious diseases, which typically include, for example, tuberculosis and epidemic influenza, which can spread to others via the respiratory tract. Additionally, chronic hepatitis B is a contagious disease that can be transmitted through blood or other body fluids. Ovarian cancer, however, is not contagious and will not spread to others.
The difference between lymphoma and lymphatic cancer
Lymphoma is actually what we usually refer to as lymphatic cancer; they are in fact the same disease. When we talk about cancer, it generally refers to malignant tumors that occur in epithelial tissues, and we call them cancer, such as lung cancer, intestinal cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, etc. Lymphoma, however, is also a type of malignant tumor, but it typically occurs in the lymph nodes, or malignant tumors of some extranodal tissues or organs, which we refer to as lymphoma. It's called differently simply because it arises from different locations and tissues; lymphoma is essentially what is commonly known as lymphatic cancer.
How many years do people generally live with lymphoma?
Lymphoma is categorized into two main types: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The specific pathological classification of lymphoma is very complex, involving dozens of types. Differences in the pathological type and stage of the disease can significantly impact the prognosis, including variations in patient sensitivity to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and consequently, different survival periods. Patients with highly aggressive lymphomas typically have a poorer prognosis, while those with indolent lymphomas usually have a prolonged disease course and slow progression, leading to a longer survival period, sometimes spanning decades. Thus, the survival period varies greatly depending on the pathological type.
Can ovarian cancer metastasize to the lungs?
Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor, so it can spread to distant organs through the bloodstream, such as the lungs, liver, bones, and even brain metastases, among others. Therefore, in late-stage patients with ovarian cancer, it can metastasize to the lungs. It can also spread through the whole body's lymphatic system, reaching lymph nodes throughout the body. The most common form of spread in ovarian cancer is implantation metastasis. It can implant in the peritoneum or pelvic cavity, leading to widespread pelvic dissemination and invasion of surrounding pelvic tissues. It can also implant in the peritoneum, resulting in significant ascites and extensive peritoneal metastasis.
Is ovarian cancer prone to metastasis?
Ovarian cancer relatively tends to metastasize more easily, and clinically, it is often found at a later stage in most patients. The main pathway of metastasis of ovarian cancer is implantation metastasis, where the tumor can breach the capsule and extensively implant in the pelvic or abdominal cavity. Another pathway is local spread, where it can spread to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and other tissues within the pelvic cavity. Additionally, ovarian cancer can also spread to distant organs throughout the body via the lymphatic system or through hematogenous dissemination.
How to control ascites from ovarian cancer?
In clinical settings, it is common for ovarian cancer to present with significant ascites. Some patients initially seek medical attention due to symptoms related to large volumes of ascites, and then ovarian cancer is diagnosed. Such cases are generally at a more advanced stage, and their treatment is predominantly chemotherapy. Ovarian cancer patients tend to be relatively sensitive to chemotherapy; only when chemotherapy controls the cancer cells can the ascites be managed. Of course, symptomatically, a peritoneal drainage tube can be placed to drain the ascites, and then local intraperitoneal chemotherapy drugs can be infused. This, combined with systemic intravenous chemotherapy, controls the ovarian cancer and manages the ascites.
What tests are done for ovarian cancer screening?
In terms of ovarian cancer screening, we first start with a gynecological examination, followed by a pelvic ultrasound of the adnexa uteri in gynecology. For patients who have given birth, it is best to perform a transvaginal ultrasound of the adnexa uteri. Additionally, blood tests are performed to check the ovarian cancer tumor marker CA125, which is a tumor marker with relatively high specificity and sensitivity, especially for ovarian epithelial cancer. For such types of ovarian cancer, the CA125 level generally shows a significant increase. Therefore, during screening, this tumor marker can be checked in conjunction with a pelvic ultrasound to screen for the disease.