What are the symptoms of mid- to late-stage liver cancer? What are the treatments for mid- to late-stage liver cancer?

As the disease progresses, the clinical symptoms that liver cancer brings to patients vary greatly. Understanding the different manifestations of patients with mid- and late-stage liver cancer is helpful in confirming the degree of disease progression, and the treatment methods for liver cancer at different stages are also very different. So, what are the manifestations of mid- and late-stage liver cancer? What are the main treatment methods for patients with mid- and late-stage liver cancer? Guo Rongping, chief physician of the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center of Sun Yat-sen University, will give us a detailed answer below.

What are the symptoms of mid-to-late stage liver cancer?

Symptoms of mid- to late-stage liver cancer include abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and shoulder reflex pain. Because the tumor compresses the organs, it will cause corresponding symptoms. For example, jaundice is caused by the tumor compressing the bile duct. If the capsule is compressed, there will be a feeling of abdominal distension and abdominal pain. There may also be reflex pain. For example, if the tumor reaches the diaphragm, there will be shoulder reflex pain. If the mass grows in the lower part and protrudes, some masses can also be felt in the abdomen.

What are the main treatments for patients with mid-to-late stage liver cancer?

The treatments for patients with mid- to late-stage liver cancer mainly include surgery and radiotherapy. The treatments for patients with mid- to late-stage liver cancer mainly include three categories: the first category is through traditional surgery, such as surgical resection. The second category is liver transplantation. The third category is interventional therapy, which includes chemotherapy and embolization drugs through the hepatic artery. Some patients also need radiotherapy.

When liver cancer develops to the middle and late stages, the condition is already quite serious. Patients can receive scientific and reasonable treatment and have a certain chance of living a long life. Strictly speaking, middle and late stage cancers are in two different stages, and there is a very important watershed between them. Patients with middle stage liver cancer are more likely to be able to accept surgical treatment after conditioning their bodies. After surgery, they can actively try radiotherapy or drug therapy to kill excess cancer cells in the body to achieve long-term survival. However, patients with advanced liver cancer have poor physical fitness, severe liver damage, and are less likely to be able to withstand surgical treatment. Most of these patients need surgical treatment combined with other methods to prolong their survival.