What are the causative factors of liver cancer? What are the principles of treating liver cancer?

Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in my country, accounting for nearly half of liver cancers worldwide. Among all types of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for about 90% of primary liver cancer. Liver cancer patients generally experience pain in the liver area, systemic and digestive tract symptoms, and the liver will gradually increase in size as the disease progresses. If metastasis occurs to the lungs, bones, brain and other different pathways, corresponding symptoms will also appear. So, regarding the pathogenic factors of liver cancer and the principles of liver cancer treatment, we asked Li Zhiwei, chief physician of Dongguan Kanghua Hospital, to answer our questions.

What are the causative factors of liver cancer?

In China, more than 80% of liver cancer cases are caused by viral infections of hepatitis B and C, with hepatitis C accounting for less than 10% and 70-80% being caused by hepatitis B virus infection. In addition, alcohol-induced fatty liver disease and liver cirrhosis account for less than 10% of liver cancer cases, so alcohol is also a risk factor. Of course, the main risk factors of liver cancer are viral infections of hepatitis B and C.

What are the principles of treating liver cancer?

The treatment principle of liver cancer is comprehensive treatment with surgical resection as the main method, including TACE, which is to inject a mixture of chemoembolic agents into the tumor through the hepatic artery. If the patient has no chance of surgery, embolization can be used to reduce the stage of the disease and give him the opportunity for surgery. In addition, the treatment of liver cancer also includes radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted drug therapy, traditional Chinese medicine treatment, etc.

Early liver cancer will not cause any symptoms or the symptoms are mild, so physical examinations and screening of high-risk groups are of great significance, which is conducive to the early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment of liver cancer, and is of great help in improving the survival rate of liver cancer patients. Generally, relevant examinations such as serological markers of liver cancer, imaging examinations and tumor puncture biopsy can be performed. Patients who have been diagnosed with liver cancer need to pay attention to regular check-ups according to the doctor's advice, pay attention to rest, exercise appropriately to strengthen their physical fitness, avoid staying up late, eat a light diet, control their weight appropriately, and pay attention to the protection of the liver area. Patients with a history of hepatitis B must not stop taking medication, and adjust antiviral treatment according to the examination; patients with a history of hepatitis C should be treated in time, and hepatitis C can be cured at present.