How is the effect of liver cancer surgery? What are the most effective treatments for lung cancer?

How effective is liver cancer surgery?

Primary liver cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in my country. In the past, the natural course of the disease was generally 3-6 months. It was called the "king of cancer" and seriously threatened people's health. Although the overall treatment effect of modern liver cancer still needs to be improved, after decades of research and summary of liver cancer by clinical physicians, a complete set of comprehensive methods for treating liver cancer has been formed, and the treatment effect of liver cancer is gradually improving. Surgical treatment of liver cancer is one of the most commonly used methods at present, and its effect is a matter of great concern to patients and their families. So, what is the effect of liver cancer surgery?

Liver cancer surgery has the best effect on early-stage patients. Data show that surgical resection of early-stage small liver cancer has the best effect, and the 5-year survival rate after surgery can reach 66.3%. The survival rate of large liver cancer resection has also increased significantly in recent years, and its 5-year survival rate has increased from 10% to 31%; while the effect on mid- and late-stage liver cancer is poor. As a local treatment method, liver cancer surgery aims to completely remove the primary lung tumor and local metastatic lymph nodes, eradicate the cancer cell base, and prolong the patient's survival. Therefore, the object of surgery should have no distant metastasis and the local invasion range is limited. Whether to perform surgical treatment should be determined by the doctor based on the scope and stage of the lesion and cannot be forced. In addition, surgical treatment is only a local treatment method, while liver cancer is a systemic disease. Therefore, for liver cancer patients after surgical treatment, other therapies such as traditional Chinese medicine treatment, systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy should also be combined for comprehensive treatment to improve the patient's long-term survival rate. For example, if liver cancer patients undergo surgical resection, the "Trinity Therapy" can be used in conjunction with the treatment, which can not only effectively kill the remaining cancer cells during the operation and prevent their recurrence and metastasis, but also accelerate the patient's physical recovery after surgery and enhance the patient's own resistance to tumors.

In short, surgery is only a local treatment for liver cancer, and it can achieve relatively ideal results for early liver cancer without distant metastasis and limited local infiltration. However, most liver cancer patients are already in the middle and late stages when diagnosed. At this time, they should actively cooperate with doctors and use chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biological therapy, Chinese medicine treatment and other programs after surgery. They should also do a good job of nutritional health care and diet conditioning on a daily basis. Some liver cancer patients can also create conditions for surgery through the above treatments. In this way, the comprehensive efficacy of liver cancer can be improved.

The "struggle" continues after liver cancer resection

A long way to go

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (hereinafter referred to as liver cancer) is one of the common malignant tumors in my country. Since its early symptoms are not obvious, it is easy to be ignored. Once discovered, more than half of the patients are already in the middle or late stages. If patients with middle or late stage liver cancer are not treated, the average survival time is only about 3 months. It can be seen that liver cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the worst prognosis.

Nevertheless, early detection, early diagnosis and early surgical treatment are still the key to improving the treatment effect of liver cancer, which is recognized by the whole world. In recent years, with the improvement of liver cancer diagnosis and treatment technology, many patients with early liver cancer have been found, and the tumors have been removed through surgery, so that they can receive timely and effective treatment. However, is everything fine for the patient after liver cancer resection? The fact is far from it. According to statistics, although the one-year survival rate of liver cancer radical resection has increased from 39.3% in the past to 87.0%, the five-year survival rate after surgery is still only 15%-40%, and 62%-82% of patients relapse within two years. Among them, 90% of liver cancer relapses in the liver and 10% relapses in the lungs. Therefore, we say that patients should not take it lightly after liver cancer resection.

Doctors and patients work together

So, what should we pay attention to after liver cancer resection?

Patients should establish an optimistic spirit, strengthen their confidence in overcoming the disease, and live a positive life. Liver cancer is a serious disease, but it is by no means incurable, and it can even be cured. There are liver cancer patients both at home and abroad who have survived for more than 20 years after surgical treatment. Close cooperation with medical staff is required to fight against liver cancer tenaciously. In terms of diet and daily life, attention should be paid to rest. If physical strength allows, appropriate activities can also be done, but not to the extent of feeling tired. Eat more protein-rich foods and fresh vegetables and fruits. Unless it is necessary for treatment, patients do not need to avoid certain foods, so as not to cause malnutrition, which is not conducive to treatment. Food should be light and easy to digest, and avoid eating moldy, pickled, smoked and roasted foods.

Of course, 2-4 weeks after liver cancer resection, patients should actively adopt supportive therapy combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine to promote early recovery. Then, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy, as well as traditional Chinese medicine and Chinese herbal medicine, etc., should be carried out according to the specific conditions of the patient. If the patient has no liver cirrhosis, the tumor is small and has a capsule, the tumor has not invaded the blood vessels, and the malignancy of the cancer cells is very low, then after radical resection, chemotherapy or radiotherapy may not be performed, but appropriate adjuvant Chinese medicine or immunotherapy is still necessary. These can be carried out under the guidance of a specialist. However, we must also realize that the effectiveness of various treatment methods depends on many factors, among which the patient's liver function status plays a big role. Therefore, actively carrying out liver protection treatment and avoiding various factors that aggravate liver damage are essential contents in the comprehensive treatment of liver cancer.

Beware of relapse

Patients should be alert to the recurrence of liver cancer. This is the most important thing that should be paid attention to. Why does liver cancer recur after resection? It is currently believed to be related to the following factors:

① There are smaller cancer foci in the liver, which were not discovered when the main tumor was removed, and the residual cancer cells continue to grow after the operation.

② Due to the high malignancy of liver cancer cells, the rapid growth of cancerous tissues, and the rich blood supply of the liver, cancer cells can easily invade the liver blood vessels and metastasize to other parts of the liver through the blood flow. During surgical resection, rough operation and excessive squeezing can also cause cancer cells to enter the blood vessels and metastasize.

③ When cirrhosis occurs, other parts of the liver that have become cancerous may also become cancerous at the same time or at different times.

The review mainly includes alpha-fetoprotein (AEp) and B-ultrasound. The full name of AEp is alpha-fetoprotein. There are three types of globulins: A, B, and C. The so-called alpha-fetoprotein refers to the alpha-globulin present in the fetus. It is normal for the fetus in the mother to have alpha-fetoprotein. After the fetus is born, this alpha-fetoprotein gradually disappears, and it is no longer detectable or only a trace amount is detected in children around 1 year old. In liver cancer patients, liver cancer cells will produce alpha-fetoprotein again, and it can be detected in the blood. Generally, after surgical resection of liver cancer, the patient's blood AEp will drop, and some can drop to normal. Once liver cancer recurs, the level of alpha-fetoprotein in the blood will rise again. Therefore, regular testing of blood AEp is helpful for the early diagnosis of recurrent liver cancer. B-ultrasound examination is inexpensive, harmless to the human body, non-invasive, and can be repeated. It can generally detect tumor lesions with a diameter of about 2 cm. 80-90% of liver cancer cases can be diagnosed by B-ultrasound examination alone. Generally speaking, it is very helpful to improve the accuracy of diagnosis when the surgeon and the ultrasound doctor jointly perform B-ultrasound examination. If necessary, enhanced CT examination or selective hepatic artery angiography can be further performed to help clarify the diagnosis. Enhanced CT examination has a high accuracy in diagnosing liver cancer recurrence, but tumors with smaller diameters are easily missed. Selective hepatic artery angiography is the most reliable means to diagnose liver cancer recurrence. It injects contrast agent into a catheter inserted into the hepatic artery to visualize the recurrent liver cancer. The smallest cancer lesion that can be diagnosed is 0.3 cm in diameter. It can also show the location, type and portal vein of the tumor. Therefore, for those suspected of recurrence, it is best to do angiography if conditions permit. The disadvantage is that the patient has to be exposed to X-rays, which is painful and expensive.

There is a plan

Those who have been diagnosed with liver cancer recurrence are not helpless and can still receive effective treatment. Those who have the conditions can choose comprehensive treatment with re-surgery as the main treatment. According to statistics, the 1-year and 3-year survival rates after re-surgery can reach 75% and 34.6% respectively. However, for re-surgery, the patient must meet the following conditions:

① Able to undergo re-hepatectomy.

② The recurrent tumor is relatively localized and has no metastasis to important organs outside the liver.

③ If the initial cancer is a massive or small liver cancer, there is a greater chance of re-surgical resection.

The main surgical approach is local resection, without insisting on a larger, regular liver resection.

When resection is difficult, other surgical methods can also be used, including freezing, laser, hepatic artery chemoembolization, intraoperative anhydrous alcohol injection, etc. Hepatic artery chemoembolization is the injection of embolic agents into the hepatic artery to block the main blood supply source of the tumor, causing ischemia and necrosis, thereby achieving the purpose of treatment. Current research has shown that it is an effective method for treating recurrent liver cancer second only to surgical resection.