Can an MRI detect liver cancer?

Written by Shen Jiang Chao

Radiology

Updated on September 05, 2024

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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect liver cancer. MRI has a high resolution for soft tissues and can multi-dimensionally present the water content and fat content in liver cancer, producing specific signals. MRI can clearly show the size, signal, shape, and the surrounding tissues of liver cancer. It can even detect small liver cancers as tiny as three millimeters and is a preferred method of imaging, more precise than CT.

Other Voices

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Written by Li Hu Chen

Imaging Center

54sec

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Liver cancer B-ultrasound manifestations

Generally speaking, for diseases of the hepatobiliary system, most of us conduct examinations using ultrasound because it is very convenient, safe, involves no radiation, and the results are relatively quick. Generally, liver cancer can appear as hypoechoic, hyperechoic, or mixed echogenicity on ultrasound. Most such liver cancer nodules may have a complete capsule, but some may not have a complete capsule. Overall, this type of liver cancer tends to grow expansively and invasively, compressing the surrounding normal liver tissue, and possibly showing some halo signs around it. The vast majority of liver cancers do not occur independently; they usually develop gradually from cirrhosis. Therefore, there is often an enlargement of the portal vein, and in some cases of liver cancer with metastasis, thrombosis in the portal vein can be seen.

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Written by Sun Wei

Surgical Oncology

52sec

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The difference between primary liver cancer and secondary liver cancer.

Primary liver cancer generally refers to tumors whose cancer cells originate from the liver itself or from the intrahepatic bile ducts. Secondary liver cancer usually refers to cancer that has metastasized to the liver from other parts of the body, which is the main difference between the two. Additionally, primary liver cancer might progress rapidly, potentially resulting in a short survival time, especially in cases of large, inoperable tumors, where most survival times range from half a year to about a year. In contrast, secondary liver cancer might have a longer survival time, and initial symptoms are generally milder. Also, tumor markers like alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tend to be higher in primary liver cancer, whereas in secondary liver cancer, this marker may be normal.

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Written by Yan Chun

Oncology

1min 13sec

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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.

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Written by Cui Fang Bo

Oncology

1min 4sec

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What should I do if I have liver cancer and a fever of 38 degrees Celsius?

Liver cancer patients experiencing a fever of 38°C can be seen in the following scenarios: The first type is tumor-related fever. In liver cancer patients, especially those in the advanced stages or with large tumors, a fever of around 38°C can occur in the absence of infection symptoms. This tumor fever is related to various mediators released into the blood by the tumor. The second type is infectious fever. Cancer patients undergoing anti-tumor treatment may experience immunosuppression and concurrent infections. This type of fever often exceeds 38.5°C but can also occur around 38°C in the early stages, often accompanied by symptoms of infection such as coughing, sputum production, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The third type is treatment-related fever. Patients with liver cancer may experience a fever of around 38°C on the day of and several days following interventional treatments.

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Written by Sun Wei

Surgical Oncology

50sec

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The difference between primary liver cancer and metastatic liver cancer

Primary liver cancer refers to malignant tumors that originate in the liver, while metastatic liver cancer refers to cancers that start in other parts of the body and then spread to the liver through lymphatic and blood circulation, among other routes. Another difference is that primary liver cancer is more likely to be a single lesion, while metastatic liver cancer generally involves multiple lesions. Regarding the differences between primary and metastatic liver cancer, their treatment methods also differ. For primary liver cancer, interventional chemotherapy or surgery, such as hepatic lobectomy, can be performed if the tumor is small. In contrast, metastatic liver cancer usually involves multiple lesions, making surgery alone challenging. Additionally, the primary tumor also requires treatment.