What are the early and late symptoms of liver cancer? Can early liver cancer be cured?

Liver cancer refers to a malignant tumor that occurs in hepatocytes or intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells. It is one of the most common malignant tumors in my country, and its mortality rate ranks second among malignant tumors. The onset of liver cancer is insidious and lacks typical clinical manifestations. When the clinical manifestations are obvious, the disease has mostly entered the middle and late stages. The manifestations of the late stage are mostly systemic non-specific symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, and bleeding. If the tumor is discovered early, it can be cured in the early stages, but regular follow-up and observation are required. If it is in the late stage, active treatment can prolong the patient's survival time. So, regarding the relevant issues about liver cancer, we invited Chen Fengsheng, deputy chief physician of the Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Southern Medical University, to give us relevant answers.

What are the early and late symptoms of liver cancer?

Liver cancer generally refers to primary liver cancer. The early symptoms of liver cancer are not very obvious, and a few patients will experience abdominal pain. The symptoms of late-stage liver cancer are relatively more: 1. Non-specific systemic symptoms, such as fatigue, fever, weight loss, etc.; 2. Digestive tract symptoms, such as poor appetite and abdominal distension; 3. Bleeding symptoms, such as digestive tract bleeding, subcutaneous ecchymosis, nosebleeds, and oral gum bleeding; 4. A few patients will also experience ascites and yellowing of the skin.

Can early liver cancer be cured?

Patients with early-stage liver cancer can be cured. The earlier the tumor is discovered, the higher the possibility of cure and the better the treatment effect. However, early-stage liver cancer is often difficult to detect, and about 80% of patients are already in the middle or late stages when they are discovered. Even if it is discovered early, after radical treatment such as surgical resection, the patient still has the risk of recurrence, so active follow-up and observation are also required after surgery.

How long can people usually live with advanced liver cancer?

The average natural course of advanced liver cancer patients without any treatment is 6 months. With the development of medical technology, most patients with advanced liver cancer can get better treatment results. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate the cancerous lesions in the patient's body, the combined use of drug therapy and other local treatments can prolong the patient's survival time.

Since the early symptoms of liver cancer are not obvious, patients with a family history or a history of high-risk factors such as viral hepatitis can undergo regular physical examinations to detect problems in a timely manner. If the tumor is small, the capsule is intact, there is no metastasis, and the patient is in good physical condition, the prognosis is better if surgical treatment is performed in the early stage. If active treatment is given in the middle and late stages, survival time can also be prolonged.