What are the symptoms of liver cancer in women? Seven causes of liver cancer that you need to know

Liver cancer is a malignant tumor of the liver, which can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary malignant liver tumors originate from the epithelial or mesenchymal tissue of the liver. The former is called primary liver cancer, which is a common and extremely harmful malignant tumor in my country; the latter is called sarcoma, which is relatively rare compared with primary liver cancer. Secondary or metastatic liver cancer refers to malignant tumors originating from multiple organs throughout the body that invade the liver. It is generally common in liver metastases of malignant tumors in organs such as the stomach, bile duct, pancreas, colorectum, ovary, uterus, lung, and breast.

Causes of liver cancer

1. Water pollution: Pollution of drinking water quality is one of the important causes of liver cancer, especially polluted ditch water, followed by river water, and well water is the lowest.

2. Viral hepatitis: mainly hepatitis B and C virus infections, especially hepatitis B and hepatitis B virus carriers, whose incidence of primary liver cancer is 2 to 100 times higher than that of normal people; in areas with a high incidence of liver cancer, about 20% of people may be hepatitis B or hepatitis B virus carriers.

3. Aflatoxin: Aflatoxin B is the most important carcinogen. It is suitable for growing and reproducing in high temperature and high humidity climates, especially in summer, when moldy food, grains, feed, etc. are most likely to be contaminated by Aspergillus flavus and produce aflatoxin. Long-term consumption of food containing this toxin can induce liver cancer.

4. Chemical carcinogens: Chemical substances that can cause liver cancer are mainly N-nitroso compounds, such as nitrosamines and nitrosamides, etc. In addition, pesticides, alcohol, safrole, etc. can also induce liver cancer.

5. Gene mutation: Mutagens and viruses in the environment stimulate the activation of liver cell division response pathways, causing point mutations and gene translocations in cells, which are possible factors that accelerate the proliferation of cancer cells.

6. Immune status: The plasma of liver cancer patients contains a blocking factor that can inhibit cellular immunity and protect liver cancer cells from being killed by immune cells. Studies have shown that alpha-fetoprotein (AFp) can inhibit the phagocytosis of lymphocytes and macrophages.

7. Complex factors: Overnutrition (macronutrients) or nutritional deficiency (such as vitamin A, B1 deficiency), hemochromatosis, parasitic infection and heredity are also risk factors for liver cancer.

Early symptoms of liver cancer in women

1. Digestive tract symptoms

The patient will feel discomfort in the upper right part of the abdomen, with obvious symptoms such as abdominal distension, indigestion, and loss of appetite.

2. Liver symptoms

The liver is enlarged, the surface is uneven and there is a feeling of mass, and the spleen is also enlarged. This is a common early symptom of liver cancer in women. It is also accompanied by dull pain in the liver area, which gradually develops into severe pain.

3. Ascites and jaundice

There is also general fatigue, weight loss and cachexia; lymph node metastasis in the left clavicle can cause lymph node enlargement

4. Irregular vaginal bleeding

There are two main reasons for irregular vaginal bleeding in women with advanced liver cancer. On the one hand, liver damage and decreased coagulation mechanism can easily lead to this situation. In addition, it is also necessary to consider whether the liver cancer has metastasized to the female reproductive system and caused vaginal bleeding.