How to reduce fever in late-stage liver cancer

Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
Updated on January 02, 2025
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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.

Other Voices

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Why can't people with liver cancer drink milk?

Liver cancer patients are generally advised not to drink milk, particularly in cases of advanced liver cancer where there is a potential for hepatic encephalopathy. This is because, for patients in the late stages of liver cancer, liver function is compromised, and some may already exhibit symptoms indicative of pre-hepatic encephalopathy. Consuming a diet rich in protein can easily trigger hepatic encephalopathy, and since milk is high in protein, its consumption is usually limited or avoided in such patients. However, for the majority of liver cancer patients, drinking milk is permissible as it not only contains abundant protein but also rich calcium, which is beneficial for the recovery of liver cancer patients. Most liver cancer patients have hypoalbuminemia (low levels of protein in the blood) and some also have hypocalcemia (low levels of calcium in the blood), thus the intake of calcium and protein-rich foods can be very beneficial for their recovery.

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Do early-stage liver cancer patients experience fatigue?

Patients with early-stage liver cancer generally do not exhibit symptoms of fatigue, which are more commonly seen in patients with mid to late-stage liver cancer. The clinical symptoms of early-stage liver cancer are generally not typical, with a minority of patients experiencing reduced appetite and discomfort or mild pain in the liver area. Furthermore, early-stage liver cancer is often discovered during physical examinations or incidentally. Fatigue in liver cancer patients is mostly due to hypoalbuminemia, moderate to severe anemia, or toxic side effects caused by certain anticancer treatments. Hypoalbuminemia occurs because the growth of liver cancer consumes a large amount of protein, and liver dysfunction leads to insufficient synthesis of both protein and glycogen, resulting in malnutrition in patients. After experiencing weight loss, patients often show signs of fatigue. The pathological changes in liver cancer can lead to moderate to severe anemia, which, in turn, significantly contributes to fatigue. Additionally, some medications used in treating liver cancer can cause fatigue due to their toxic side effects.

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Is primary liver cancer contagious?

Primary liver cancer refers to malignant tumors that occur in the liver and are not metastasized from other parts of the body. Such liver cancer itself is not contagious. However, if liver cancer patients have other infectious diseases, transmission may be possible. Most primary liver cancers are related to liver cirrhosis following hepatitis, with hepatitis B being the most common. If accompanied by hepatitis B, it can be contagious, but it usually doesn't spread through regular daily contact. The main transmission routes for hepatitis B are through blood, mother-to-child transmission, and sexual transmission. This means that as long as the patient's blood does not injure someone else, contagion is generally unlikely, so there is no need for excessive worry.

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Does liver cancer cause nosebleeds in its early stages?

Patients with early-stage liver cancer generally do not exhibit clinical symptoms of nosebleeds. Nosebleeds are a clinical manifestation of late-stage liver cancer. Early-stage liver cancer patients usually have atypical symptoms, which may include tenderness in the liver area, decreased appetite, abdominal bloating, and symptoms of indigestion. As the disease progresses, the liver cancer invades surrounding tissues and metastasizes to distant sites, leading to liver function impairment and coagulation disorders, which can result in nosebleeds. Some patients may also develop splenic hyperfunction due to liver damage, leading to a decrease in platelets, which can also cause nosebleeds. Additionally, some patients in the late stages may develop disseminated intravascular coagulation, leading to spontaneous internal and mucosal bleeding, clinically manifesting as nosebleeds.

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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.