What are the effective methods for treating liver cancer? These tests can help detect liver cancer

Regarding liver cancer, many people have such questions: Are there any obvious signs of liver cancer in the early stage to remind us to treat it early? However, liver cancer may not show any discomfort at the early stage, that is, there is no signal to you. When the so-called signal appears, it is often in the late stage. Therefore, active screening is the most effective method.

What are the common liver cancer tests?

1. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFp)

AFP is a specific protein produced by liver cancer cells that can be detected in the blood. It is still one of the best diagnostic markers for liver cancer. If you have a history of chronic liver disease and your physical examination reveals abnormally elevated AFP, you should be alert to the possibility of liver cancer. In addition to pregnancy, reproductive system tumors and other factors that can cause elevated AFP, about 70% of liver cancer patients will have varying degrees of elevated AFP.

2. Liver Ultrasound

Liver ultrasound is a routine method for liver cancer screening. It is quick, simple and relatively low-cost, and can detect any abnormal nodules or masses in the liver.

Many liver cancer patients have normal liver function and are virus-negative, so they can receive early treatment. This is largely due to ultrasound screening that detects space-occupying lesions, allowing patients to receive timely diagnosis and treatment.

Therefore, regular ultrasound examinations can determine whether there are new lesions in the liver or abnormal changes in old lesions. In addition, regular ultrasound examinations can also detect changes in the condition of cirrhosis or fatty liver, and have strong guiding significance for the treatment of liver diseases.

Treatment of liver cancer

1. Surgical treatment of liver cancer

Surgery is a method of treating primary liver cancer. If only part of the liver is cancerous and the rest is in good condition and not sclerotic, doctors will consider surgery to remove the cancerous part, which is called liver resection. If one lobe of the liver is removed, it is called lobectomy. The liver has an amazing ability to repair itself. Even if three-quarters of it is removed, it can grow back quickly. Since liver cancer is relatively hidden, it is often discovered in the late stage, and the best time for surgery has been missed. It is often treated with a combination of Chinese and Western medicine.

2. Hepatic artery embolization chemotherapy

It can cause necrosis of most or all liver cancer tissues, control tumor bleeding, relieve stubborn pain caused by tumors, stimulate the body's immune activity, and serve as a palliative treatment for unresectable liver cancer. In some patients, tumors shrink after embolization, and secondary resection can be performed, thereby improving the patient's survival rate and surgical resection rate. Hepatic artery perfusion interventional chemotherapy is also one of the common postoperative adjuvant treatment options.

3. Other treatments for liver cancer

Surgery is the most effective method for treating liver cancer. However, due to the hidden nature of liver cancer, many patients with liver cancer are already in the advanced stage when they seek medical treatment and lose the opportunity for surgery. However, this does not mean that these patients lose the opportunity for treatment. In addition to surgery, other treatment methods for liver cancer include: radiological intervention, ultrasound intervention, radiotherapy, chemical drugs, biological agents, traditional Chinese medicine and other treatment methods.