What tests are needed to diagnose liver cancer?

Liver cancer patients all know that there are many tests needed to diagnose liver cancer. So what are the tests for liver cancer? Liver cancer is already affecting the normal lives of patients. Now, let the experts introduce to you the examination methods for liver cancer .

1. Blood biochemical examination

For primary liver cancer, there may be changes in liver function such as increased blood alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase or bilirubin, decreased albumin, and changes in immune indicators such as lymphocyte subpopulations. This is a liver cancer examination.

2. Tumor marker test

AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) is the best tumor marker for liver cancer. If AFP>400ng/mL for one month or AFP>200ng/mL for two months, and pregnancy and genital embryonic carcinoma are excluded, it is highly alert to liver cancer and should be confirmed by imaging examination.

3. Imaging examination

Abdominal ultrasound scan: Ultrasound scanning is non-invasive, convenient, and economical, and can be used to screen high-risk groups. Intraoperative ultrasound can detect small lesions and determine the relationship between tumors and blood vessels. Ultrasound-guided puncture biopsy can directly obtain histological diagnosis.

CT examination: Currently, it is the most important imaging examination method for liver cancer diagnosis and differential diagnosis. It is used to observe the morphology and blood supply of liver cancer, the detection, characterization, and staging of liver cancer, and the follow-up after liver cancer treatment. Plain scan has limited value and can be used to observe fatty changes, bleeding, and deposition after iodized oil embolization. Enhanced scan should be considered routine, and direct enhanced scan is feasible, and plain scan can be added as needed.

MRI examination: It is a powerful supplement to the imaging diagnosis of liver cancer and is becoming increasingly important with the development of magnetic resonance technology. It has advantages in detecting and characterizing liver cancer in the context of fatty liver and cirrhosis, and in determining residual and recurrent tumors after interventional treatment of liver cancer. MRI plain scans have high tissue resolution and can analyze the internal structure of lesions. Enhanced scans can understand the blood supply of tumors. The combination of plain scans and enhanced scans is more helpful in the diagnosis of liver cancer.

Selective angiography: It used to play a key role in the evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, with the clinical application of spiral CT, especially multi-slice spiral CT and MR dynamic enhanced scanning, the diagnostic value of selective angiography for liver cancer has gradually been replaced. Its main value is currently transarterial chemotherapy and embolization therapy.

ECT is helpful in the diagnosis of bone metastasis of liver cancer.

4. Pathological examination

The examinations for this type of liver cancer are laparoscopy and percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy, which are not recommended as routine. When there are indications, they can be used in hospitals with conditions or higher-level hospitals to assist in diagnosis.

The above content is the examination method for liver cancer introduced by experts. Please pay attention to it. I hope it will be helpful to you. If you have other questions about the examination method for liver cancer, please consult online experts and they will give you detailed answers.