This stomachache is actually liver cancer

Mr. He, 52, likes to drink. Last year, he began to feel a dull pain below his heart. Thinking it was a problem with his stomach, he bought some stomach medicine. Recently, Mr. He's appetite has been getting worse and worse, and he also felt a lump above his abdomen. Later, when I went to the hospital for a check-up, it turned out to be massive liver cancer. Mr. He mentioned that he was diagnosed with hepatitis B and icteric hepatitis when he was young, but he did not feel unwell and did not have regular check-ups. Because the cancer was discovered too late, Mr. He is now in the advanced stage of liver cancer and cannot undergo surgery and can only receive conservative treatment.

Nausea, bloating and abdominal pain are not all "stomach" problems

According to incomplete statistics, about 37% of liver disease patients mistakenly think they have "stomach disease" in the early stages of the disease, which leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Professor Huo Feng, director of the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and chief physician at the Guangzhou General Hospital of the Guangzhou Military Region, said that liver disease can easily be confused with stomach disease because of its atypical early symptoms, including loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal distension, and upper abdominal discomfort.

Huo Feng said that if you have symptoms suspected of stomach problems, do not take medicine on your own, you should go to the hospital for a check-up to get a clear diagnosis, especially those who drink alcohol frequently, carry the hepatitis B virus, or have a history of biliary disease should be more careful. "If patients treat liver disease as stomach disease for a long time and take medicine without authorization, the hepatitis may develop into advanced cirrhosis or liver cancer, and the best time for treatment will be missed."

Three major causes of liver cancer: viruses, biliary disease, and fatty liver

"Hepatitis B virus is the biggest hidden danger that induces liver cancer. In my country, about 80% of liver cancer patients are transformed from hepatitis B patients or hepatitis B virus carriers." Huo Feng pointed out that the way hepatitis B virus causes liver cancer is that when the human body is infected with the virus, the virus actively replicates in the body and causes damage to the liver, leading to chronic hepatitis. Long-term chronic hepatitis leads to cirrhosis, and then develops into liver cancer. This process is relatively long and will take more than ten years.

Secondly, diseases of the biliary system, such as hepatobiliary stones and liver fluke, can induce liver cancer. "Although the causes and pathogenesis of liver and gallbladder diseases are different, they influence each other at certain levels and may eventually lead to liver dysfunction or even chronic liver failure." In addition, Huo Feng mentioned that the latest international research shows that fatty liver can also lead to liver cancer, and the incidence is on the rise. Severe fatty liver disease can also lead to cirrhosis and eventually develop into liver cancer.

Liver transplantation and surgery are the first choice for treating liver cancer

Huo Feng said that the best option for the treatment of liver cancer is currently considered to be multidisciplinary standardized comprehensive treatment with surgery as the main focus. Why is it "mainly surgery"? Huo Feng explained: "Among the many treatments for liver cancer, surgical removal of the tumor or removal of the entire diseased liver and liver transplantation are currently internationally recognized as the most effective methods. These two methods can significantly improve the patient's survival rate for more than 5 years, and may even allow the patient to recover." "Prevention of recurrence after surgery also needs to be fully valued." Huo Feng said that patients who have undergone liver cancer surgery are not once and for all, and must undergo anti-recurrence treatment after surgery. These anti-recurrence treatments include intervention, ablation, chemoradiotherapy, biology, targeted therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment.

Regardless of symptoms, physical examinations are important

"To improve the efficacy of liver cancer treatment, the key is to prevent, detect and treat it early." Huo Feng said that since hepatitis B virus carriers and chronic hepatitis B patients may not have any discomfort symptoms or the symptoms are not obvious, few people will take the initiative to have regular physical examinations. However, chronic hepatitis may develop into cirrhosis and even liver cancer. Therefore, regular physical examinations and follow-up are very important, which can detect problems in time and treat them in time, thereby reducing the chances of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. "Long-term hepatitis B virus carriers, patients with liver cirrhosis, chronic alcoholics, and people with slightly elevated alpha-fetoprotein levels are at high risk of liver cancer and are recommended to be checked every three months."

Regarding the content of the physical examination, Huo Feng suggested that for ordinary people, it is necessary to have a comprehensive physical examination once a year. The main examination items include: liver and gallbladder B-ultrasound, blood test for liver function, hepatitis B two-pair-half and alpha-fetoprotein, and for people who have received blood transfusions, hepatitis C antibody tests should also be performed. If the test results are normal and you are not a carrier of the hepatitis B or C virus, you only need to have a physical examination once a year. If a person is found to be carrying the hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B patients will be tested for hepatitis B virus DNA in addition to the above items; hepatitis C patients will be tested for hepatitis C virus RNA. Hepatitis B or C virus carriers should have more frequent physical examinations than normal people. Even if they do not feel any discomfort, they should have regular physical examinations, preferably 2 to 4 times a year, with four items checked each time, namely liver function, hepatitis B virus DNA, alpha-fetoprotein and liver B-ultrasound.