Will patients with cirrhosis definitely develop liver cancer?

Liver cirrhosis is diffuse liver damage caused by one or more causes of disease for a long time or repeatedly. Once you have liver cirrhosis, the fibrotic and hardened liver can no longer be reversed to a healthy liver. Liver cirrhosis causes atypical proliferation of liver cells, which then develops into liver cancer.

1. Compensation period

At this time, the liver still has a strong compensatory capacity. Most patients do not feel any discomfort and can still live a normal life. A few patients will be found to have cirrhosis during physical examinations or examinations for other diseases. Patients may show non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms such as mild fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and mild abdominal distension. Among them, fatigue and loss of appetite appear earlier and are more prominent. The above symptoms are not progressive and can be induced by fatigue or concomitant other diseases. They can also be relieved after appropriate treatment or rest.

With proper treatment methods and the patients paying attention to their own health care, some patients with compensated cirrhosis can always remain in the compensated stage of liver function without transitioning to the decompensated stage, let alone developing liver cancer.

2. Decompensation

However, many patients have already entered the decompensated stage when they are diagnosed with cirrhosis. The patient's complexion is dull and gray, and spider nevi can be seen on the palms of the liver. The liver is slightly enlarged or normal in size and hard in texture, and the spleen is slightly to moderately enlarged and hard in texture, showing obvious symptoms of liver disease. At this time, if the patient actively treats it, otherwise the disease is allowed to develop, the complications caused by cirrhosis will become more and more serious, and may eventually develop into liver cancer.