Blood tests may be used to test liver function or to evaluate risk factors in the patient's history.
Between 50% and 75% of primary liver cancer patients have abnormally high blood serum levels of a particular protein (alpha-fetoprotein or AFP).
In liver cancer patients, the doctor may be able to hear an abnormal sound (bruit) or rubbing noise if he uses a stethoscope to listen to the blood vessels that lie near the liver.
In the United States, nearly 25% of patients with liver cancer show evidence of HBV infection.
In liver cancer patients, bleeding can occur in different locations, posing various challenges. The primary sites of concern are: Within the Liver Tumor: Bleeding can occur within the liver tumors themselves. Liver cancer often involves the development of tumors that can be fragile and prone to bleeding. Gastrointestinal Tract: Bleeding may extend into the gastrointestinal tract. This can result in symptoms such as bloody stools or vomiting of blood. The proximity of the liver to the digestive system makes this a potential site for bleeding complications. Portal Hypertension: Liver cancer can lead to portal hypertension, an increase in blood pressure within the portal vein. This condition may cause varices, enlarged and swollen veins in the digestive tract, which can rupture and lead to bleeding. Impaired Blood Clotting: Liver cancer can affect the liver's ability to produce clotting factors, leading to impaired blood clotting. This can result in an increased risk of bleeding both within the liver and in other parts of the body.
These include cancer of the colon, rectum, stomach (gastric cancer), esophagus, liver, or pancreas. It is also used with cancers of the breast, lung, or prostate.
The liver is usually swollen and hard in patients with liver cancer; it may be sore when the doctor presses on it. In some cases, the patient's spleen is also enlarged.
The tumor may block the ducts of the liver or the gall bladder, leading to jaundice.
Unfortunately, only about 5% of patients with metastatic cancer (from primary tumors in the colon or rectum) fall into this group.
Some patients develop a collection of fluid, known as ascites, in the abdominal cavity.
For advanced stages of liver cancer, the only treatment available is through a liver transplant. This is only effective if the cancer had not yet spread to the other parts of your body, however.
Patients may be given a liver transplant in the event of liver failure as a complication of WD.
toxic metabolites of paracetamol are removed by healthy livers. patients with liver disease cannot remove them, so the toxins build up and cause more liver damage leading to liver failure