The difference between primary liver cancer and metastatic liver cancer

Written by Sun Wei
Surgical Oncology
Updated on September 29, 2024
00:00
00:00

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.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Sun Ming Yue
Medical Oncology
40sec home-news-image

Is the right shoulder pain from liver cancer muscular pain?

Many cancer patients do not exhibit obvious symptoms after becoming ill. This is particularly true for many liver cancer patients who do not feel anything unusual after contracting the disease, leading to a lack of timely detection and treatment. By the time they are diagnosed, the disease has often already reached an advanced stage. At this advanced stage, treatment becomes quite difficult. If a patient experiences severe pain in the right shoulder, it generally indicates that the liver cancer has reached a late stage. The pain during this period has no specific characteristics; it is simply a sensation of pain.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
53sec home-news-image

Can liver calcifications be liver cancer?

Calcification in the liver is not liver cancer. For internal liver calcifications, it is described in ultrasonography and CT scans as a benign lesion, not as liver cancer. Liver cancer is a malignant tumor that can be life-threatening, thus it is considered a serious condition. When calcification is present, it is not indicative of liver cancer, but regular follow-up ultrasounds are still needed to monitor changes in size dynamically. If the calcification increases significantly in size over a short period and grows rapidly, malignant transformation should be suspected, and surgery should be conducted as soon as possible to improve the prognosis for the patient. Additionally, for liver cancer patients, it is advisable to avoid spicy and irritating foods to reduce inflammatory stimulation, which is more conducive to the recovery of the condition.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
55sec home-news-image

Why does advanced liver cancer cause itching on the body?

Liver cancer itself does not cause itchy skin, but itchy skin can appear in advanced liver cancer patients due to some complications. Firstly, when liver cancer encroaches on the hepatic portal area, it can invade or compress the biliary system, causing obstruction of the biliary system and increased bilirubin in the blood, which leads to generalized itching. When liver cancer patients also have fungal or parasitic infections of the skin, itching can also occur. Additionally, when liver cancer patients undergo chemotherapy, targeted molecular therapy, or other systemic anti-tumor treatments, they may experience generalized itching due to allergies to medications. In some cases where the allergic reactions are severe, symptoms such as a drop in blood pressure and other manifestations of anaphylactic shock can occur, necessitating prompt treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Sun Ming Yue
Medical Oncology
44sec home-news-image

How to protect the liver in the late stages of liver cancer

If liver cancer has reached an advanced stage, this indicates that the patient's condition is very serious, and there is no possibility of cure. It is recommended that the patient take some Chinese herbal medicines for liver protection and maintenance. However, the patient must regulate their condition and control the development of the disease through medication under the guidance of a doctor, in order to prolong their life. However, the specific treatment plan should be determined based on the specific condition of each patient, following the guidance of the doctor for treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
50sec home-news-image

Is bleeding when brushing teeth an early sign of liver cancer?

When a patient has liver cancer, one symptom can be gingival bleeding. Because when a patient has liver cancer, some coagulation factors in the blood are affected, and the patient may frequently experience repeated dental bleeding. Therefore, it is suggested that patients should undergo early diagnostic tests and adopt specific treatment plans. However, repeated gingival bleeding in a patient does not necessarily indicate early-stage liver cancer, as some hematological diseases can also lead to repeated gingival bleeding, such as common thrombocytopenia and some patients with gingivitis. If long-term oral hygiene is neglected, the gingival tissue stays in a state of chronic inflammation, and acute inflammation can lead to bleeding while brushing teeth.