"Alpha-fetoprotein persistently exceeds 500ng, diffuse cirrhosis of the whole liver, and primary liver cancer combined with cirrhosis."
Looking at the words on the medical record, 45-year-old Mr. Liang felt that the sky was falling, and he often felt pain in the liver area some time ago, but because of the family's poor economy, he kept dragging it out and did not go to see it. It wasn't until the skin turned yellow all over the body and the weight dropped significantly that he came to the hospital.
Mr. Liang was puzzled by the results of liver cancer, how could he suffer from this disease for no reason after he was strong and strong all year round farming?
The doctor said that this was related to the fact that he had been suffering from hepatitis B for many years, and there were no signs of liver cancer in the early stage, and it was often in the middle and advanced stages when it was discovered.
1. Is liver cancer at an advanced stage as soon as it is discovered? Special attention is paid to those over 40 years of age
Liver cancer is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality in mainland China, and the prognosis is very poor. Liver cancer in the early stage is generally silent, and by the time the symptoms are obvious, it has often progressed to the middle and advanced stages, which is also called "dumb cancer".
Yan Jie, chief physician of the Liver Disease Center of Beijing Ditan Hospital, said that the pain caused by liver cancer has two important characteristics: first, it will not hurt when the lesion is small, and it will only hurt when it grows to a certain extent; Second, when there is no pain, there is a higher probability of radical cure, and when there is pain, it cannot be completely cured.
This is because the liver is an organ that does not have pain nerves, and when the lesions in the liver grow to more than 10 cm, the liver will become larger and stretch the liver capsule open. There are pain nerves on the liver capsule, and obvious pain will be felt at this time, which means that the disease has developed to the stage of untreatable liver cancer.
The incidence of liver cancer is higher than that of the general population, such as those with hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection, long-term alcohol abuse, fatty liver, frequent intake of moldy food, and people with a family history of liver cancer.
Teng Gaojun, president of Zhongda Hospital affiliated to Southeast University, said that patients with simple fatty liver disease do not need to be screened for liver cancer, but if they are high-risk groups, it is recommended to have a check-up every six months.
2. People with a bad liver may have 4 abnormalities when they get up
Many people think that liver cancer is "exclusive" for the elderly, but in fact, young people also have a certain chance of developing cancer. In particular, some people with a history of chronic liver disease need to pay more attention to physical performance.
Hou Liya, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Shanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that after getting up in the morning, there were 4 manifestations in the body, indicating that the liver was not good and it was necessary to be vigilant against liver disease.
1. Swollen head headache
When you wake up in the morning, there are abnormal pain symptoms on both sides of the head and temples, indicating that the liver fire is more vigorous, and this position is just the position where the gallbladder meridian has passed.
2. Dry eyes
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the liver is open to the eyes, and the reason why the eyes can see things depends on the nourishment of the liver and blood. When the liver blood in the body is insufficient, the eyeball will not be adequately nourished, and abnormal dry eyes and astringent eyes will occur.
3. Dry mouth bitterness
Dry mouth and bitter mouth are mostly related to the exuberance of liver fire, especially in the morning, and the exuberance of liver fire will further affect the excretion of bile, which will aggravate the symptoms of bitter mouth.
4. Body stiffness
When I wake up in the morning, I feel that my body is very stiff, the tendons of my whole body cannot be stretched, and I am prone to cramps during sleep, which is likely to be related to liver blood deficiency and liver yin deficiency.
3. Liver-damaging foods are found, and 1 type of food may hurt the liver more than drinking
The occurrence of liver cancer is related to a variety of factors, which can be mainly divided into two categories: internal factors mainly refer to genetic factors, and external factors refer to the environment, such as viruses, food, etc.
When it comes to liver-damaging foods, we all know that drinking alcohol hurts the liver, but there is a kind of fruit that may be more harmful to the liver than alcohol.
This fruit is a moldy fruit, and it is likely that aflatoxin will be present in this kind of fruit, which is a clear class of carcinogens and has been confirmed in animal experiments to induce liver cancer. Long-term human exposure also significantly increases the risk of cancer.
Aflatoxin has strong liver toxicity, and after entering the body, it will inhibit the synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein from stem cells, which will kill liver cells and increase the risk of cancer. In addition to moldy fruits, moldy nuts and grains may also have aflatoxin, and once found, they should be discarded in time.
In addition to moldy food and wine, Gu Chuanling of the Capital Health Nutrition and Gastronomy Society reminded that there are 3 types of food that are also harmful to the liver, so try to eat as little as possible.
1. Fruit juice
The fructose content in the fruit is very rich, and the sugar will become concentrated after juicing, and it will be converted into fat in the liver when it enters the body, and a large amount of fructose ingested into the liver will not have time to transport and accumulate in the liver, thereby increasing the risk of fatty liver.
2. Delicate carbs
The white rice, steamed buns, noodles, etc. we often eat every day are refined carbohydrates, and these foods will be quickly digested and absorbed by the body after entering the body, causing blood sugar to rise. A long-term rise in blood sugar will cause liver function to also be affected, making it easier to get sick.
3. Raw shellfish
Shellfish are filter feeders that filter seawater for food and nutrients, and are likely to carry the hepatitis A virus inside, so they must be cooked well before eating.
The occurrence of liver cancer is not overnight, but the result of many years, in daily life, it is necessary to develop good living habits, once you find any discomfort in the body, seek medical attention in time.
Resources:
[1] How often are high-risk groups of liver cancer screened? Academician interprets the new version of the Guide. Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University 2024-04-19
[2] "The 4 manifestations of waking up in the morning are that the liver is calling for help, and 10 kinds of liver-protecting foods should be eaten correctly!" 》. Health Times 2024-05-17
[3] "7 types of food are the most harmful to the liver, try to eat as little as possible, pay attention to the 6 alarm signs of liver abnormalities!" Health Times 2024-03-18
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