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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
Can lymphoma be cured?
Whether lymphoma can be cured depends on the specific pathological type of lymphoma, as there are dozens of subtypes, each with different prognoses and sensitivities to treatment. Additionally, the stage of lymphoma in patients also affects the prognosis. For example, patients with early-stage lymphoma can achieve a cure through radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, for patients with advanced-stage lymphoma, treatment primarily involves chemotherapy, especially in cases of highly aggressive lymphoma, where it is difficult to achieve a complete cure. The goal of treatment in such cases is to alleviate pain and extend the patient's life.
Does bladder cancer require the removal of the bladder?
Whether or not to remove the entire bladder in cases of bladder cancer depends on whether the tumor has invaded the base layer and whether there is distant metastasis. For non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, where the muscle layer is not invaded and there is no distant metastasis, typically found in stage 0 and stage 1 bladder cancer patients, there is no need for complete removal of the bladder. The standard treatment in such cases generally involves transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. If the tumor has invaded the base layer but there is no distant metastasis, termed muscle-invasive bladder cancer, patients in this category require radical cystectomy, which involves the removal of the entire bladder. If there is distant metastasis, termed metastatic bladder cancer, surgical treatment is not pursued; instead, palliative chemotherapy is the primary approach.
Stage II colorectal cancer
Rectal cancer staging is based on the TNM system. "T" refers to the primary tumor, "N" indicates whether there are lymph node metastases, and "M" indicates the presence of distant metastases. Staging is determined according to these factors. Stage II generally refers to patients with T3, N0, M0, or T4, N0, M0. What does this mean? T3 indicates that the tumor has penetrated the base layer reaching the subserosal layer, or has invaded the tissues adjacent to parts of the colon or rectum that are not covered by peritoneum, which is described as T3. T4 means that the tumor has invaded through the entire bowel wall, perforated the visceral peritoneum, and involved other organs or structures, which is called T4. N0, M0 means there are no lymph node metastases and no distant metastases, such as to the liver or lungs. Such patients are clinically staged as stage II rectal cancer.
What does pancreatic cancer ascites mean?
When pancreatic cancer causes ascites, particularly a large amount, we can collect the ascites to search for cancer cells. This generally indicates peritoneal metastasis, or metastasis above the liver which can also cause substantial ascites. In such cases, it typically signifies that the disease has progressed to a late stage, classified as stage IV. Patients in this category are unable to undergo surgery and their treatment primarily involves chemotherapy. If the patient's overall condition is good, chemotherapy can be chosen. If the patient's condition is relatively poor, targeted therapy or oral anti-angiogenesis medications may be selected to control the pancreatic cancer and manage the tumor. If the patient's condition is particularly poor, the approach involves placing a peritoneal drainage tube to remove the ascites and providing the best possible symptomatic supportive care.
Late-stage symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Late symptoms of pancreatic cancer include abdominal pain, or sore and swollen back pain, as well as nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, indigestion, and discomfort of upper abdominal fullness. These are some symptoms affecting the digestive tract. Additionally, there is jaundice caused by tumor compression of the bile duct, as well as skin itching, and even fever. Some patients show clinical manifestations such as ascites when there is metastasis to the liver, or abdominal or retroperitoneal lymph nodes.
What is used for pain relief in pancreatic cancer?
If a pancreatic cancer patient is experiencing pain, the choice of pain medication can be based on the specific severity of the pain. For mild pain, mild pain relievers such as ibuprofen sustained-release capsules can be chosen initially. For moderate pain, pain relievers like tramadol can be used. If the daily dosage of tramadol exceeds eight tablets, which is two tablets each time, taken every six hours, and if the pain relief is still inadequate after 24 hours, then it might be appropriate to switch to opioid painkillers such as hydromorphone sustained-release tablets, morphine sustained-release tablets, or morphine.
How many years can one live with ovarian cancer?
The survival period of ovarian cancer patients is influenced by various factors including the specific stage of the cancer, whether there is residual tumor after surgery, the size of any residual tumor, the pathological type of the cancer, the presence of high-risk factors for recurrence such as vascular tumor thrombus, neural invasion, lymph node metastasis, etc., as well as the patient's age, overall condition, the presence of severe comorbidities, and the patient's response and sensitivity to treatments like radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Survival periods vary due to differences in stages and treatment sensitivities, meaning it cannot be generalized; there is significant individual variation in survival outcomes.
Is there a benign form of bladder cancer?
Tumors are divided into two main categories: benign tumors and malignant tumors. The malignant tumors that occur in epithelial tissues are called cancers, such as lung cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer. Therefore, bladder cancer is malignant; there are no benign bladder cancers. Cancer, in contrast to benign tumors, tends to metastasize to distant locations, grow rapidly, and can spread through blood, lymph nodes, and local invasion. Thus, it is termed as cancer and is malignant, which means there is no such thing as benign bladder cancer.
What are the symptoms of late-stage pancreatic cancer?
Some common symptoms of advanced pancreatic cancer include abdominal pain and upper abdominal pain, and it is even possible to feel an obvious lump in the abdomen. Jaundice is also a common symptom. Some patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain, even ascites, which is a sensation of abdominal fullness. They are unable to eat, and eating can worsen the bloating. These clinical manifestations are accompanied by clearly noticeable abdominal pain. There are also symptoms associated with distant organ metastasis, such as when metastasis to the lungs can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and even hemoptysis. Some patients may experience extensive abdominal metastasis, which can even lead to intestinal obstruction and other clinical presentations.
Location of abdominal pain in ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer in patients manifests as tumors in either both ovaries or one ovary. Therefore, the abdominal pain they experience is lower abdominal pain, not bloating or sudden, noticeable increase in abdominal size. Additionally, the primary pathway for the metastasis of ovarian cancer is through implantation, allowing widespread metastatic implants in the pelvic and abdominal cavities. There is also local spread of the tumor to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and surrounding pelvic tissues. Thus, the location of abdominal pain in ovarian cancer is in the lower abdomen, specifically pain and bloating in the pelvic area.