Signs of early detection of liver cancer

Unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, bloating, yellow skin and eyes, sometimes feeling an abnormally enlarged liver... are signs of liver cancer.

Vietnam is located in the region with the highest incidence of liver cancer in the world, the disease tends to increase, ranking 3rd among the 10 most common cancers in men and the leading mortality rate for both sexes. Most patients come to the clinic when it is too late, the average survival time is no more than one year. 60% come to the hospital when it is in the intermediate and advanced stages, the rate of early detection is very low.

According to Dr. Vu Truong Khanh, Head of the Gastroenterology Department, Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), liver cancer can be cured if detected early. There are many ways to treat it: surgical removal of the part of the liver with the tumor, liver transplantation, hepatic embolization with chemicals, radiotherapy, chemotherapy...

The early stages of the disease often have no signs, and patients often pay little attention. However, the disease is not difficult to detect. A simple, non-toxic way is to screen with ultrasound, which can detect relatively small tumors.Dr. Khanh noted that for liver cancer, screening by testing is meaningless. There are cases where the test is positive but screening does not detect the disease, and the patient still lives a long life.

Signs of liver cancer

Doctors recommend that to prevent disease, one should stop drinking alcohol, have regular health check-ups, at least check liver function, and have liver ultrasound screening to detect tumors early.In addition, people with high risk factors such as liver disease (chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis...); hepatitis B, C virus... need to have regular health check-ups every 3-6 months.

Cancers caused by alcohol

According to VNE