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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
What should be done if pancreatic cancer has not metastasized?
If pancreatic cancer has not metastasized, then it might be in an early stage. In this situation, consultation with a hepatobiliary surgeon is necessary for the surgeon to assess whether curative surgery can be performed. If the surgeon determines that curative surgery is feasible, this should be the preferred treatment method. Post-operatively, based on whether there are symptoms of recurrence or metastasis, such as vascular tumor thrombi or lymph node metastases, decisions concerning the necessity for adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy should be made based on these high-risk factors for recurrence and metastasis.
What tests are used to check for rectal cancer?
When clinical symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation, changes in bowel habits, bloody stools, and abdominal pain occur, we should be vigilant about the possibility of rectal cancer. The examination for rectal cancer can start with a digital rectal exam, especially for low-lying rectal cancer, which is closer to the anus; these tumors can be detected through this method. Then, a colonoscopy should be performed to take a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, which is the gold standard for confirmation. Additionally, blood tests for tumor markers can be conducted. Generally, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA199 levels may be elevated, but this is not absolute as their specificity and sensitivity are not very high. An enhanced CT scan of the abdomen can also be done. In such scans, we can see thickening of the intestinal wall where the tumor is located, and the enhancement can show the intensified thickening of the intestinal wall. Combining all these methods can confirm the diagnosis of rectal cancer.
Can stomach cancer be cured?
Whether gastric cancer can be cured depends on the stage of the cancer, as well as the patient's own physical condition. For example, early-stage gastric cancer patients, who are diagnosed as early-stage through examinations such as endoscopic ultrasonography and enhanced CT of the chest and abdomen, and assessed by surgeons as suitable for curative surgery, are primarily treated with curative surgery. The prognosis for these early-stage gastric cancer patients is generally good, with a relatively high five-year survival rate. Post-operation, based on the pathological findings, it is decided whether postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy are necessary. There is hope for curing patients in these early stages through these treatment methods. However, if a patient is found to have advanced-stage gastric cancer, for example with metastases to distant organs like the liver and lungs, the cancer is not completely curable. The purpose of treatment in such cases is to alleviate the patient's pain and extend their survival, but it can’t achieve a curative effect.
Is lymphoma serious?
The severity of lymphoma relates to its specific pathological type and the stage of discovery among other factors. For instance, some highly aggressive lymphomas grow very rapidly, leading to swift disease progression, resulting in a poorer prognosis and more severe conditions. On the other hand, indolent lymphomas progress slowly, with lymph node growth being particularly sluggish, and the disease course can extend to even decades. Thus, conditions of such indolent lymphomas are relatively milder. The stage of lymphoma at the time of discovery also plays a role; early-stage lymphoma, such as stage I or II, is comparatively less severe. In contrast, patients with later stages, such as stage III or IV, experience more severe conditions. Therefore, the type of pathology and the stage at discovery are all significant factors.
The difference between pancreatic tumors and pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic tumors include benign and malignant tumors, with malignant pancreatic tumors commonly referred to as pancreatic cancer. Benign pancreatic tumors include insulinomas, pancreatic cysts, lipomas of the pancreas, or fibromas, which are relatively rare in clinical settings. Whether benign or malignant, including pancreatic cancer, symptoms can include upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice, among other clinical signs. However, distinguishing between benign and malignant tumors requires pathological examination.
What are the early symptoms of liver cancer?
The early symptoms of liver cancer lack specificity, so in clinical practice, early-stage liver cancer is generally detected only during routine screenings or physical examinations. By the time patients present with noticeable symptoms and seek medical attention, the cancer is often in the intermediate or advanced stages, making surgical removal unlikely for most patients. The early symptoms might include non-specific signs such as fatigue. It is usually only in the intermediate or advanced stages that patients experience obvious symptoms like pain in the liver area, palpable abdominal masses, abdominal distension, weight loss, and jaundice. By the time these symptoms appear, it is typically quite late, corresponding to the intermediate or advanced stages of the disease. Early stages typically do not show specific symptoms, though some patients might experience mild abdominal pain, bloating, or fatigue, which are not very specific signs.
The main metastatic pathways of esophageal cancer
The main metastatic pathways of esophageal cancer include firstly, hematogenous spread, which can transfer to distant organs such as bones and the lungs or liver via the bloodstream. The second pathway is via the lymphatic system, which can lead to the metastasis of regional lymph nodes and other non-regional lymph nodes. For example, cervical esophageal cancer tends to metastasize to the supraclavicular and adjacent esophageal lymph nodes; in thoracic esophageal cancer, metastases may occur in the subcarinal, upper periesophageal, and lower periesophageal lymph nodes; metastasis can also be achieved through local spread and invasion of the tumor.
What medicine to take for diarrhea caused by rectal cancer?
Diarrhea is a common symptom of rectal cancer. For symptomatic treatment, we can take medications such as montmorillonite powder or loperamide to alleviate diarrhea, and use probiotics like Bifidobacterium triple or quadruple live bacteria to regulate intestinal flora. However, these treatments only alleviate symptoms rather than cure the underlying disease. The key is to control the rectal cancer itself. Treating the tumor is the fundamental solution. Only when the tumor is under control will the patient's diarrhea symptoms be relieved. Otherwise, even if the symptoms are alleviated by antidiarrheal drugs, if the tumor is not controlled, symptoms including diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain will recur and may even worsen.
What department should lymphoma go to?
Lymphoma can be treated in the departments of hematology or oncology, where chemotherapy for lymphoma can be conducted by both. In our hospital, radiotherapy is performed in the oncology department, not by the hematology department, which only provides chemotherapy. If lymphoma has not been confirmed and there is only superficial lymph node enlargement clinically, then examinations such as ultrasound or PADCT suggest the possibility of lymphoma. In such cases, patients can visit the general surgery department for a lymph node biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. After confirmation, the patient can register in either the hematology or oncology department for further treatment.
Symptoms of Lymphoma
The symptoms of lymphoma mostly present as painless enlarged superficial lymph nodes, which are common clinical manifestations. Additionally, there may be enlargement of the liver and spleen, with multiple organs throughout the body possibly affected. In advanced stages, patients may experience invasion of the bone marrow. There are also special types of extranodal lymphomas which exhibit specific symptoms. For instance, lymphomas originating in the stomach may present with upper abdominal masses, or symptoms like anemia, weight loss, black stools, and even upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting related to the gastrointestinal tract. If the lymphoma originates in the nasal cavity, known as NK/T-cell lymphoma, symptoms may include tinnitus, nasal congestion, runny nose, and nosebleeds, among others. Some lymphoma patients may also experience fever, generalized weakness, weight loss, collectively referred to as B symptoms.