What are the diagnosis methods for liver cancer? 7 differential diagnosis methods for liver cancer

Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in my country, and it is more common in southwestern coastal cities. The negative correlation age of liver cancer patients in my country is 40 to 50 years old, and it is more common in men than in women. Its cause and pathogenesis are not clear. With the early diagnosis and early treatment of primary liver cancer, the overall efficacy has been significantly enhanced. So, what are the methods for diagnosing liver cancer?

Liver cancer diagnosis

1. Secondary liver cancer:

Compared with primary liver cancer, secondary liver cancer is more advanced and has milder symptoms. The most common secondary liver cancer is stomach cancer, followed by lung, colon, pancreas, breast, etc. Cancer foci often migrate to the liver. It often manifests as multiple mass-type diseases. The alpha-fetoprotein (AFp) test is usually negative, except for a few cases of primary cancer that may be positive in digestion.

2. Liver Cirrhosis:

Liver cancer often develops on the basis of liver cirrhosis, and it is often difficult to distinguish between the two. The distinction depends on a detailed medical history, a full physical examination, and laboratory tests. Cirrhosis develops slowly and relapses, and liver function tests are more affected. High blood cell alpha-fetoprotein (AFp) is positive and often indicates lesions.

3. Active liver disease:

The following content is helpful for distinguishing liver cancer from active liver disease (acute and chronic hepatitis). AFp alpha-fetoprotein should be checked regularly and SGpT alanine aminotransferase should be tested separately.

4. Liver abscess:

The main symptoms are fever, dull pain in the liver area, symptoms of inflammation, increased white blood cell count, significant percussion pain and tenderness in the liver, tension in the left upper abdominal muscles, and edema of the surrounding chest wall.

5. Hepatic honeycomb hemangioma:

This disease is a well-occupying space in the liver and is often discovered accidentally during physical examinations such as B-ultrasound or radionuclide scanning. This disease is common in my country. The key to diagnosis is the measurement of alpha-fetoprotein, B-ultrasound and hepatovascular angiography.

6. Hepatic echinococcosis:

The patient has idiopathic swelling of the liver, with a hard texture and a feeling of mass, and most of the liver is destroyed in the late stage. The clinical symptoms are very similar to primary liver cancer.

7. Extrahepatic tumors adjacent to the liver:

For example, gastric cancer, upper abdominal retroperitoneal tumors, kidney, adrenal gland, sigmoid colon, pancreatic cancer and retroperitoneal tumors are easily confused with primary liver cancer. In addition to the high frequency of negative alpha-fetoprotein, which can help distinguish them, the medical history and clinical symptoms are different, and imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT, MRI, and digestive tract X-ray examinations can make a diagnosis.