How to check liver cancer? 3 methods of ultrasound examination for liver cancer

As the number of patients with liver diseases increases, the number of patients with liver cancer also increases. Now, cancer has become our second malignant tumor, second only to lung cancer. So do you know how to check for liver cancer?

Only timely and correct examinations after people develop some symptoms of liver cancer can enable patients to diagnose the disease as soon as possible, so everyone should understand the methods of examining liver cancer.

Liver cancer screening methods

1. Ultrasound examination

This is one of the examination methods for liver cancer. If people want to diagnose liver cancer in time, they can use this method. This method uses B-type ultrasound examination, which can show the size, shape, location of the tumor, and whether there are cancer thrombi in the hepatic vein or portal vein. The diagnostic consistency rate can reach 84%, and it can detect lesions with a diameter of 2 cm or less. It is currently the best and most valuable non-invasive examination method with positioning.

2. CT examination

This is also a method for checking liver cancer. After you find the symptoms of liver cancer, you can use this method for examination. This examination method has a high resolution and can detect early liver cancer with a diameter of about 1.0 cm. The application of enhanced scanning helps to distinguish it from hemangioma. The diagnosis of liver cancer is consistent with the rate of up to 90%. But the cost is expensive. It is not yet widely used, so after you know how to check for liver cancer, you should do the corresponding examination.

3. X-ray examination

This is also one of the methods for checking liver cancer. Therefore, if you suspect that you have liver cancer, you must use this method to check. Abdominal fluoroscopy or plain film can show the enlargement of liver shadow. Cancer in the right lobe of the liver is often seen with the right diaphragm elevated, limited movement or localized bulge. In the left lobe of the liver or huge liver cancer, X-ray barium meal examination can show the stomach and transverse colon being pushed.

Early symptoms of liver cancer

1. Fever

The fever caused by liver cancer is generally around 37.5℃~38℃, occasionally reaching above 39℃, with irregular fever pattern, mostly without chills, and more common in the afternoon. Sometimes remittent high fever can also be seen. Fever can be caused by tumor necrosis or its metabolites. The fever caused by liver cancer is mostly cancerous fever, which is caused by the release of pyrogens into the blood circulation after tumor tissue necrosis. Tumor patients are prone to infection due to low resistance, and fever may also occur. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish from cancerous fever of liver cancer, and it is necessary to combine blood picture and observe whether antibacterial treatment is effective to make a judgment.

2. Digestive tract symptoms

It is often manifested as a significant loss of appetite: abdominal distension, indigestion, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. Among them, loss of appetite and abdominal distension are the most common. Diarrhea is also a common digestive tract symptom of liver cancer. It has been reported both at home and abroad. The incidence is high and it is easily mistaken for chronic enteritis. Portal hypertension and intestinal dysfunction caused by portal vein or hepatic vein cancer thrombus can cause abdominal distension and increased bowel movements. Abdominal distension can also be caused by ascites. Gastrointestinal dysfunction can also lead to symptoms such as indigestion, flatulence, and nausea.

3. Dull pain in the right upper abdomen

This is a common symptom of liver cancer patients. The pain is usually located in the liver area. The pain in the liver area of ​​patients with mid-to-late stage liver cancer is usually located in the right rib or under the xiphoid process. The nature of the pain is mainly persistent dull pain, dull pain or stabbing pain. A small number of patients may also have special manifestations of pain. Patients with liver cancer may also have referred pain in other parts of the body. The pain area of ​​some patients is located in the upper and middle abdomen. Most of them are caused by left lobe liver cancer, but sometimes they are misdiagnosed as stomach problems and delay treatment. Some patients may have right shoulder pain, which is more common in clinical practice in tumors near the diaphragm of the right lobe. Because it involves the diaphragm and causes referred pain in the right shoulder, it is easy to be misdiagnosed as frozen shoulder. When liver cancer metastasizes to other parts, symptoms of metastatic lesions will appear. When it metastasizes to the lungs, chest pain may occur; when it metastasizes to the bones, bone pain may occur. Therefore, when liver cancer patients have chest pain or bone pain, it should be considered that it is caused by liver cancer metastasis. Clinically, a small number of patients may experience sudden severe pain in the liver area, which is mostly caused by rupture and bleeding of cancerous nodules located on the surface of the liver. If the patient is also accompanied by dizziness, blurred vision, palpitations, and low blood pressure, it mostly indicates that the cancerous nodule has ruptured and is complicated by severe internal bleeding. If this happens, emergency rescue should be carried out in time.

4. Fatigue and weight loss

This symptom often occurs in the middle and late stages of liver cancer. It may be that tumor metabolites cause changes in the body's biochemical metabolism, reduce food intake, and in severe cases, cause cachexia and fatigue. The cause is unknown. It may be due to digestive dysfunction and nutrient absorption disorders leading to insufficient energy, or liver cell damage and decreased liver function, resulting in metabolic disorders, failure to inactivate certain toxins in time, or the release of toxic substances due to liver cancer tissue necrosis.