How can hepatitis B patients prevent liver cancer? 7 effective ways to prevent liver cancer

There are many reasons for liver cancer. Long-term work pressure puts a heavy burden on the liver, alcoholism and improper diet lead to liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease or further deterioration of cirrhosis, or hepatitis B patients and hepatitis B virus carriers suffer from the damage of the hepatitis B virus to the liver tissue and function. These are the main causes of liver cancer.

In the opinion of relevant experts, hepatitis B virus is the biggest hidden danger that induces liver cancer. Almost 80% of liver cancer patients are transformed from hepatitis B patients or hepatitis B virus carriers. There are many hepatitis B virus carriers in my country. The huge hepatitis B population has made our country always have the title of "hepatitis B power". Relevant statistics show that hepatitis B virus carriers in China currently account for about 10% of the total population of China. If the total population of 1.3 billion in the country is multiplied by this percentage, there are as many as 130 million potential liver cancer patients. In this light, it is not surprising that the statistics that liver cancer patients in my country account for 55% of the total number of liver cancer patients in the world.

So how does the hepatitis B virus damage the liver and gradually deteriorate into liver cancer?

Let's take a simple example. If the skin is cut, the skin tissue will self-repair and heal. Although the wound is healed, a scar is formed. The means by which the hepatitis B virus damages the liver is the same as cutting a cut on the skin. After the hepatitis B virus invades the liver, it constantly replicates itself in large quantities in the liver cells and destroys the liver cells. The liver's regeneration ability is also very strong, but the tissue regenerated after being damaged by the hepatitis B virus is no longer the same as the original liver tissue. What regenerates after the skin is cut is a scar, while what regenerates after the liver is damaged is some cirrhosis nodules. The increasing number of nodules eventually changes the liver's morphology and turns into cirrhosis. If one of the cirrhosis nodules mutates, liver cancer may form. The growth of liver cancer tissue is not controlled by the body. It is often a crazy growth process or metastasis. By the time symptoms appear and it is diagnosed, it is often in the late stage where doctors are helpless.

So how can you prevent liver cancer if you have hepatitis B? Prevention can be carried out in the following ways:

(1) For hepatitis C: Once the diagnosis is established, whether acute or chronic, antiviral treatment should be given as soon as possible. The antiviral efficacy of conventional interferon or long-acting interferon combined with ribavirin in the treatment of acute hepatitis C can reach 80%-90%, which is better than hepatitis B. Studies have shown that antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis C can also increase the efficacy to 60%-70%.

(2) For patients with hepatitis B: HBVDNA (+) and/or HBeAg (+), and abnormal liver function, antiviral treatment is recommended. Currently, the commonly used antiviral drugs are: ordinary interferon, long-acting interferon, lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir, and telbivudine. Adherence to antiviral treatment can continuously suppress HBVDNA levels, convert HBeAg serum, and improve liver biopsy histology, thereby preventing the progression of fibrosis by improving inflammatory necrosis. Treatment must be carried out under the guidance of a doctor and medication cannot be stopped at will.

(3) Prevent liver cell necrosis, promote liver cell repair, and improve liver function: The formation of cirrhosis is caused by continuous inflammation and necrosis of liver cells. Therefore, reducing liver cell necrosis and promoting liver cell repair are the key to preventing the development of cirrhosis. For patients with obvious liver damage, we recommend hospitalization.

(4) Rest and nutrition: During the active stage of liver disease, it is advisable to rest in bed. After the condition improves, it is advisable to gradually increase the amount of activity to achieve a good combination of work and rest.

(5) Those with a history of drinking alcohol must avoid drinking alcohol. It is well known that alcohol can aggravate hepatitis.

(6) Avoid using drugs that are harmful to the liver: Many drugs need to be detoxified by the liver, so try to use as few drugs as possible, especially drugs that are harmful to the liver. If you must use drugs, you should do so under the guidance of a doctor. The diet should be high in protein, high in fiber, high in vitamins, and easily digestible. Eat more vegetables, and moderate amounts of carbohydrates and fats.

(7) Regular follow-up examinations: Patients with chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C should go to the hospital for regular follow-up examinations. Regardless of whether their liver function is normal, they should undergo regular B-ultrasound dynamic observations and serial serum tests in order to understand the progression of the disease and adjust treatment at any time.