How to detect liver cancer early in patients with hepatitis B

The patient is a 58-year-old male with a history of hepatitis B. I heard that hepatitis B patients are prone to liver cancer. How can liver cancer be detected at an early stage?

Hepatitis B virus can cause repeated inflammation and regeneration of the liver, which can easily induce cancer. It takes about two years for liver cancer to develop from the first cancer cell formation to the onset of conscious symptoms. During this period, the patient may not have any symptoms or signs. A few patients may experience loss of appetite, upper abdominal distension, fatigue, etc.

How can hepatitis B patients detect liver cancer at an early stage?

1. Ultrasound examination is a means of diagnosing liver cancer. The characteristics of ultrasound are that it is relatively easy to operate, the cost is relatively low, and the detection rate of liver lesions is also relatively high.

2. CT scan for liver cancer is a very important method and is widely used across the country.

3. AFP has a certain sensitivity to the test. When AFP increases, it should be taken seriously. However, not all liver cancer patients have elevated AFP in clinical practice. Therefore, elevated AFP cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis. This test only plays a certain auxiliary role in the early diagnosis of liver cancer.

4. Patients with early liver cancer may experience symptoms similar to common liver diseases, such as decreased appetite, fatigue, easy fatigue, diarrhea, etc. When the liver cancer lesions are close to the liver capsule, the early symptoms of liver cancer may also be accompanied by pain in the liver area. Patients who have suffered from chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, cirrhosis and other diseases for many years and whose condition has been stable all the time suddenly develop liver disease symptoms again or the original symptoms suddenly worsen should be alert.