Why do children also get liver cancer? To prevent liver cancer, stay away from these foods

Primary liver cancer (pHC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in my country, and is more common in adults. However, in recent years, the incidence of primary liver cancer in children has been increasing, with an average age of onset of about 10 years old, and it has family clustering characteristics. Because there are no special symptoms in the early stage, childhood liver cancer has the characteristics of "rapid onset, late stage, high misdiagnosis rate, and short course of disease."

The cause of primary liver cancer in children has not yet been fully clarified. Hepatitis B virus infection first causes viral hepatitis, followed by cirrhosis, and ultimately leads to repeated damage to liver cells and the formation of liver cancer. Hepatitis B virus infection in children is mostly caused by vertical transmission from mother to child. In many cases, pediatric liver cancer is directly transmitted by adults. If the mother has three positives, during pregnancy, the hepatitis B virus may be transmitted to the baby in the abdomen. Therefore, many pediatric liver cancer patients may carry cancer genes during the embryonic period, and after birth, due to certain environmental factors, they mutate and cause tumors. The development has a relatively long natural course. These "vicious" tumors grow fast and progress quickly.

Primary liver cancer in children is like a "time bomb". There are no symptoms in the early stage, and many parents are unaware of it. The occurrence of liver cancer in children is closely related to the infection of hepatitis virus, especially if the parents have hepatitis B or liver disease, they should go to the hospital for examination as soon as the child is born. In addition, if the child has an upper abdominal mass and bloating in the upper abdomen, the enlarged liver can be felt, the texture is hard, the surface is not smooth, and there is local tenderness. There are also symptoms such as fever, fatigue, nosebleeds, pale face, and weight loss. Sometimes there is pain in the right upper abdomen (mostly paroxysmal dull pain), nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. At this time, parents should pay attention to whether their children have liver tumors and go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible. Don't be careless, otherwise it will delay the child's condition and the consequences will be disastrous.

Carrying out perinatal examinations during the embryonic period, preventing vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus DNA from mother to child, and conducting regular alpha-fetoprotein and liver B-ultrasound tests on children infected with hepatitis B virus can help children with early detection and early treatment, thereby improving survival rates. We should also pay attention to regular follow-up of mothers and infants infected with hepatitis B virus, timely vaccination with hepatitis B vaccine or antiviral treatment, regular testing of alpha-fetoprotein for suspected children, combined with imaging examinations such as B-ultrasound, in order to prevent the occurrence of primary liver cancer in children or achieve early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment, improve the survival rate of primary liver cancer in children, and prolong survival time.

Why do children get liver cancer?

1. Water source purification: Why do children get liver cancer? It is mainly because of the serious pollution of drinking water quality, which is one of the important causes of liver cancer, especially purified ditch water, followed by river water, and well water is the lowest. Therefore, in villages without tap water, drinking well water should be encouraged.

2. Aflatoxin: Aflatoxin B is the most important carcinogen. It is suitable for growth and reproduction in low temperature and high humidity environments, especially in moldy foods, grains and feed in summer, which are easily contaminated by Aspergillus flavus to produce aflatoxin. Long-term consumption of foods containing such toxins can cause liver cancer.

3. Gene mutation: What is the cause of liver cancer? In recent years, some people have believed that the activation of liver cell division response pathways induced by mutagen and virus in the environment is also one of the causes of liver cancer. It can cause cell point mutation and gene translocation, which may be a factor in accelerating the proliferation of cancer cells.

4. Immune status: There is a blocking factor in the plasma of liver cancer patients that can inhibit cellular immunity and protect liver cancer cells from being killed by immune cells. It has now been proven that alpha-fetoprotein can inhibit the phagocytic effect of lymphocytes and macrophages.

5. Hepatitis carriers: Mainly infected with hepatitis B and C viruses, especially hepatitis B and hepatitis B virus carriers, the incidence of primary liver cancer is more than 200 to 500 times higher than that of normal people. In areas where liver cancer is common, about 20% of people may be hepatitis B or hepatitis B virus carriers.

6. Physical reasons: Erythritis, parasitic infection and heredity are also harmful factors that cause liver cancer.

Stay away from liver cancer and stay away from these foods

1. Sweet drinks

Essence: Flavors, pigments, sugar, water and a host of food additives, no matter how good its advertising claims are.

Hazards: obesity, tooth decay, calcium deficiency, childhood leukemia, etc.

Advice: Never give sweetened drinks to your children instead of water.

2. Colorful snacks in supermarkets

Essence: Flour, sugar, fat and a long list of food additives, especially those with strong tastes that can't be seen from the raw materials

Hazards: Obesity, heavy taste, refusal to eat, the trans fatty acids in it can also threaten children's nervous system and affect physical development.

Advice: In the supermarket, other than milk, fruit, and good quality nuts and dried fruits, other items are not good choices for children as snacks.

3. Street stalls

Essence: Unlicensed operation, poor hygiene, no guarantee of product quality, and poor production methods of frying and baking.

Hazards: Mild cases may cause diarrhea, severe cases may cause death.