Early symptoms of small liver cancer

When it comes to a disease called small liver cancer, many people don’t know why liver cancer is divided into large and small sizes. Among them, small liver cancer is also a type of liver cancer, but compared with large liver cancer, its symptoms are milder, so it is called small liver cancer. The early symptoms of small liver cancer mainly include fever, high body temperature, fatigue, weight loss, and even pain in the liver area. So how can we detect and treat small liver cancer in its early stages?

Although the symptoms of small liver cancer are milder than those of large liver cancer, its harmfulness should not be underestimated. Therefore, if you find early symptoms of suspected small liver cancer, it is best to go to the hospital to consult a doctor in time for further examination and treatment, which will be helpful for the condition. Here I will introduce to you the early symptoms and dietary principles of small liver cancer.

Small liver cancer is relative to large liver cancer. Small liver cancer is also called subclinical liver cancer or early liver cancer, and there are no obvious clinical symptoms and signs of liver cancer. Small hepatocellular carcinoma generally refers to a liver cancer in which the maximum diameter of a single cancer nodule does not exceed 3 cm or the sum of the diameters of two cancer nodules does not exceed 3 cm. Patients often have no clinical symptoms. The tumor nodules are mostly spherical, with clear boundaries, uniform cross-sections, and no bleeding or necrosis. The standard for small liver cancer in my country is: the maximum diameter of a single cancer nodule does not exceed 3 cm; the number of multiple cancer nodules does not exceed two, and the sum of their maximum diameters should be less than 3 cm.

Early symptoms of small liver cancer: 1. Abdominal distension: It is often caused by the enlargement of the left lobe, which compresses the stomach, showing symptoms of upper abdominal distension and indigestion. The presence of ascites can cause distension of the entire abdomen. 2. Fever symptoms: The fever of liver cancer is mostly between 37.5℃ and 38℃, and in a few cases it can be higher. Patients often think they have a cold and fever and seek medical treatment. The temperature is high, but the pain is not obvious. The cause of fever may be ischemia and necrosis inside the tumor, absorption of necrotic products, or poor liver function and metabolic disorders that produce pyrogens. 3. Fatigue and weight loss: It is one of the clinical manifestations of the early symptoms of small liver cancer. The consumption of liver cancer cells during proliferation, the stimulation of metabolites of cancer tissue, and malnutrition due to lack of food intake can all cause weight loss. 4. Pain in the liver area: Pain in the liver area is the first symptom of small liver cancer. It manifests as intermittent or persistent dull pain or stabbing pain in the liver area in the right upper abdomen. It may resolve on its own without treatment. It is sometimes misdiagnosed as cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, or duodenal bulb ulcer. Some patients experience tightness or distension in the liver area. 5. Digestive tract symptoms: This is a common early symptom of small liver cancer, mainly digestive dysfunction, with clinical manifestations such as stomach enlargement, liver compression, decreased appetite, etc. Diarrhea is often caused by intestinal dysfunction due to digestive and absorption disorders, intestinal infection, and ascites.

Early detection of small hepatocellular carcinoma: 1. Men who are positive for HBV or HCV serological indicators, have a history of cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis, and are over 35 years old can be considered a high-risk group. Regular monitoring of them is the main way to detect early small hepatocellular carcinoma. 2. AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) and B-ultrasound are currently the most sensitive, convenient and economical monitoring methods for screening small liver cancer. 3. For those with low-level positive AFP, AFP isomer detection can be used as an auxiliary measure, and for those with negative AFP, other liver cancer markers can be tested, which is beneficial for the qualitative diagnosis of early liver cancer. 4. The progress of imaging technologies such as ultrasound, CT and magnetic resonance imaging has made it no longer difficult to diagnose small liver cancers less than 1 cm. New contrast agents have further improved the sensitivity of ultrasound and MRI, and ultrasound contrast imaging helps to evaluate the vascular distribution and blood supply of liver cancer. Tissue-specific MRI enhancers (such as superparamagnetic iron oxide) can also further improve the detection rate of small HCC. In addition, the development of three-dimensional imaging technology has also provided a new means for diagnosing small hepatocellular carcinoma. 5. Fine needle aspiration cytology under ultrasound guidance is also a good diagnostic method when necessary.

Dietary principles for small liver cancer: 1. Since the physical energy consumption of patients with small liver cancer is extremely high, and the liver itself is an important organ for human metabolism and energy conversion, the diet of patients with small liver cancer should ensure that they have sufficient nutrition, generally high in protein, high in sugar, high in vitamins and fat (in small amounts). 2. The detoxification function of the liver is significantly reduced in patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma, so drinking and spicy stimulation should be absolutely prohibited in the diet of patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma. More liver-protecting foods should be selected. When there is ascites, salt intake should be limited in the diet, and greasy food should be avoided in jaundice. 3. It is advisable to choose more foods that have the effect of "softening and dispersing lumps" and enhancing immune function to inhibit the rapid growth of tumors. 4. Patients with small liver cancer must keep their bowel movements smooth, so the fiber content in their food should be guaranteed. Therefore, fresh vegetables or fruits should be included in every meal of the diet of patients with small liver cancer. However, most patients with small liver cancer have esophageal varices. To prevent bleeding, the food should not be rough, and hard, thorny and overly hot foods should be avoided. 5. The blood coagulation function of patients with small liver cancer decreases during the course of the disease, so they should choose foods that have blood-replenishing and hemostatic effects, and appropriately increase the intake of foods containing vitamin K and vitamin C.

After reading the above content about the early symptoms and dietary principles of small liver cancer, I believe everyone has some knowledge and understanding of the disease of small liver cancer. In addition to going to the hospital for timely examination and treatment, patients with small liver cancer should also pay close attention to their daily diet. In addition to refraining from drinking alcohol and eating irritating foods, you should also eat more blood-enriching and liver-protecting foods to ensure sufficient nutrition to cope with the treatment of the disease.