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Liver cancer
Can a cystic lesion in the liver be liver cancer?
Clinically, cystic lesions in the liver are mostly not liver cancer lesions, because liver cancer is a malignant tumor occurring in the liver. Clinically, on imaging, it is mainly manifested as occupying lesions in the liver, appearing as multiple hepatic nodules fused into a mass, or as a huge single nodular lesion. These lesions generally appear as solid lesions. When the tumor is large, ischemic necrosis can occur due to insufficient blood supply to the central area, resulting in cystic changes in the central region of the solid lesion. Therefore, some patients with large liver cancer may have cystic and solid lesions on imaging, but in most cases, liver cancer lesions are solid.
Does early-stage liver cancer metastasize?
Patients with early-stage liver cancer generally do not experience metastasis. This is because for patients with early-stage liver cancer, the lesions are localized and have not spread, thus being classified as early-stage. Moreover, the general treatment for patients with early-stage liver cancer involves curative surgery. Since the lesions are localized, in most cases, there will be no recurrence or metastasis after the surgery. Therefore, for early-stage patients, there is no need to administer adjuvant radiotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy and other anti-tumor treatments after the surgery. However, once the liver cancer lesions invade surrounding tissues and metastasize to distant sites, it indicates that the lesions have spread, and the clinical stage has progressed to mid or late stages, losing the opportunity for curative surgery. Most patients undergo comprehensive treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy which generally results in a reduction in survival time.
Does liver palm mean liver cancer?
Liver palm is not liver cancer; it is a clinical symptom caused by the stage of liver cirrhosis in patients. Once liver palm appears, it is important to pay attention and visit the gastroenterology or hepatology department of a standard hospital for a complete liver function test and upper abdominal imaging to confirm the diagnosis of the disease. Depending on the specific diagnosis, appropriate treatment measures should be taken. If liver palm is caused by alcoholic liver disease leading to cirrhosis, active abstinence from alcohol is necessary. If it is caused by viral hepatitis, antiviral treatment is required, along with active liver-protective treatment.
What should someone with advanced liver cancer eat if they have no appetite?
In the late stages of liver cancer, loss of appetite may be related to gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by widespread metastasis of cancer cells. If loss of appetite occurs, it is first recommended to try eating orally as much as possible, and consuming rice porridge or noodle soup to increase nutrition. If there is still no appetite, nutritional support can be provided through parenteral nutrition, such as using nutritional elements and substances for intravenous treatment. If the results are not satisfactory, medication can be administered through a central venous catheter for better outcomes.
Will early-stage liver cancer cause a low-grade fever?
Patients with early-stage liver cancer may experience low-grade fevers, primarily due to the following two reasons: First, tumor fever. In the early stages of liver cancer, some tumor cells can release tumor mediators into the bloodstream, affecting the function of the temperature regulation center and causing the patient to develop a fever. This type of tumor fever is usually not very high, remaining below 38.5°C, without concurrent symptoms or signs of infection. A complete blood count typically indicates that the total number of white blood cells and the proportion of neutrophils are not elevated. The second scenario involves patients in the early stages of liver cancer experiencing fever due to concurrent infections. These patients often present with symptoms and signs related to infection, such as coughing up phlegm, abdominal pain and diarrhea, and urinary frequency, urgency, or pain. The proportion of white blood cells and neutrophils is significantly increased in these cases.
Early-stage liver cancer: how to exercise daily
Patients with early-stage liver cancer can engage in light and low-intensity exercises daily, such as slow walking and strolling. This is because early-stage liver cancer patients generally have an acceptable physical condition, although most of them have low immunity. Doing some appropriate exercises can enhance the patients’ immune system and has minimal impact on their overall physical condition. Moreover, patients with early-stage liver cancer usually undergo curative surgery for treatment. In most cases, post-surgery, they do not require radiation, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy for tumor treatment. With close follow-up, as long as there is no recurrence or metastasis, most patients can achieve clinical cure. Early exercise is beneficial for the recovery of patients, thus it is recommended. In addition, for patients with early-stage liver cancer, close follow-up of the disease changes after curative surgery is crucial to provide timely treatment.
Can early-stage liver cancer be cured by resection?
Liver cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of the digestive system. For patients with early-stage liver cancer, clinical cure is possible after curative surgery. This clinical cure refers to instances where liver cancer patients, after undergoing curative surgery, do not show signs of recurrence or metastasis over a period exceeding five years. This means there is no invasion of surrounding tissues and no metastasis to distant organs – effectively, the patients have achieved clinical cure. Patients' survival time exceeds five years, or even longer. Therefore, for patients with early-stage liver cancer, because their lesions are relatively limited, achieving clinical cure is possible following curative surgery. However, as the disease progresses to the mid and late stages, even with aggressive surgery and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy, most patients cannot achieve clinical cure.
Primary liver cancer causes
The causes and specific mechanisms of primary liver cancer are not yet very clear; its development is a complex process involving multiple factors and steps, influenced by various aspects such as environment and diet. Primary liver cancer is associated with chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections, aflatoxin, contaminated drinking water, and alcoholic cirrhosis, among other factors. Particularly, hepatocellular carcinoma has a significant association with hepatitis B, and most patients may also have a history of chronic hepatitis B.
Does early-stage liver cancer cause itchy skin?
Liver cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in the digestive system. In the early stages of liver cancer, most patients do not exhibit symptoms of skin itching. It is only when the cancer progresses and causes obstructive jaundice that patients clinically develop symptoms of skin itching. Early-stage liver cancer patients typically do not show typical clinical symptoms, or they may not have any significant symptoms at all. This is because early-stage liver cancer lesions are small and localized, without external invasion or metastasis. Therefore, the impact on the entire body is minimal, and clinically it generally manifests as mild abdominal bloating, discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, and some patients may experience a dull ache or discomfort in the liver area. Because the symptoms of early-stage liver cancer are atypical, many patients are already in the middle to late stages by the time they seek medical attention, missing the opportunity for clinical cure.
How to reduce fever in late-stage liver cancer
For late-stage liver cancer patients experiencing fever, antipyretic treatment should be based on different circumstances. If the fever is due to an infection, it often exceeds 39℃ and is accompanied by symptoms and signs related to the infection, such as cough and yellow sputum, abdominal pain, diarrhea, frequent urination, urgency, and painful urination. In such cases, antibiotics should be used for anti-infective treatment, along with antipyretic analgesics for fever reduction. If the fever is due to tumor fever or interventions like liver procedures, there are no infection-related factors, usually the temperature does not exceed 38.5℃, and there are no symptoms or signs related to infection. The treatment primarily involves the use of antipyretic analgesics for fever reduction.