Can alcohol cause primary liver cancer? Key points to note when caring for liver cancer

Liver cancer is a type of cancer that causes great harm to patients. Severe cases can directly induce death. There are many types of liver cancer, which are classified differently according to different causes. The most common of them is primary liver cancer. So why do patients suffer from primary liver cancer?

What causes primary liver cancer?

1. Viral hepatitis: This includes hepatitis B and C. The cause is speculated to be the hepatitis virus causing liver cell damage followed by hyperplasia or atypical hyperplasia, which makes it sensitive to carcinogens. In the process of multiple causes and stages of the disease, multiple genes may change, resulting in uncontrolled cell growth, continuous proliferation of liver cells, and finally cancer.

2. Alcohol: In Western countries, drinking is the main factor in the etiology of chronic liver disease, but studies have shown that alcohol has no direct relationship with liver cancer cells. It acts like a catalyst and can promote the occurrence and progression of liver cancer. This is because alcohol affects the normal metabolism of the liver, causing fat deposition in the liver and resulting in fatty liver. The more you drink, the more severe the fatty liver becomes. If you continue to drink heavily, it will greatly accelerate the formation and development of cirrhosis and promote the occurrence of liver cancer.

3. Diet: Long-term consumption of moldy food, food containing nitrosamines, and lack of trace element arsenic are important factors that promote liver cancer. Among them, aflatoxin in moldy food and nitrite in pickled food are the main carcinogens.

4. Other factors: such as drinking water pollution, genetic factors, parasitic infection, etc.

Key points for liver cancer care:

Provide psychological comfort to the patient. Liver cancer patients are impatient and prone to anger, so their family members should be understanding and tolerant.

Liver cancer is a wasting disease, and attention must be paid to the supplementation of nutrients, especially protein. In the early and middle stages, as much protein as possible should be consumed, but in the terminal stage, when there are signs of hepatic coma or hepatorenal syndrome, the intake of nitrogen-containing foods such as protein should be strictly limited.

Closely observe changes in the patient's temperature, respiration, pulse, and blood pressure, and pay attention to the color, nature, and amount of vomitus and feces, as well as the presence of bleeding tendencies. If the patient is found to be drowsy, apathetic, irritable, hallucinating, etc., hepatic coma should be highly suspected and reported to the doctor in a timely manner.

In the middle and late stages of liver cancer, bile secretion decreases and patients cannot tolerate fat diets, so a high-sugar, low-fat diet is required to maintain the body's energy metabolism. Vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and vitamin K should be supplemented. For patients with cirrhosis and ascites, sodium salt intake should be limited. For patients with portal hypertension, soft, non-irritating liquid or semi-liquid diets should be selected as much as possible.

Liver cancer patients can engage in light physical labor. This is because patients stay idle at home all day and will always think of themselves as patients, which increases their mental burden and is not conducive to recovery. Appropriate exercise and returning to work with co-workers can help them let go of their mental burden to a certain extent, which is beneficial to their health.