Regular health check-ups, measures to prevent viral hepatitis, and a healthy lifestyle help reduce the risk of liver cancer.
Early stage liver cancer often has no symptoms. The disease is detected through physical examination and specialized medical tests such as ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, liver biopsy, and genetic testing.
According to Dr. Vu Truong Khanh, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, identifying risk factors helps reduce the possibility of getting this disease.
Regular check-up
Liver diseases such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver... can lead to cancer. Cirrhosis is a condition of severe scarring of the liver due to progressive liver damage, often lasting many years. Alcohol abuse is one of the common causes of cirrhosis and progression to liver cancer. People with cirrhosis need to follow recommendations for regular monitoring and screening for liver cancer, contributing to early detection of cancer, before symptoms progress.
Chronic hepatitis B or C virus infection is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis B, if not diagnosed and treated promptly, can easily lead to cancer without causing cirrhosis during the damage process. Therefore, regular check-ups limit the possibility of missing the disease.
Similarly, fatty liver that develops over time can become cirrhosis, increasing the risk of liver cancer. Some health conditions that increase the risk of fatty liver disease include obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia...
According to Dr. Khanh, people with liver disease are susceptible to developing liver cancer. Regular check-ups as prescribed by a doctor and treatment according to a regimen help reduce the risk of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer).
Dr. Khanh examines a patient at Tam Anh Hospital. Photo: Provided by the hospital
Prevention of viral hepatitis
Hepatitis B virus is dangerous because it develops silently. Hepatitis B virus enters the body and causes severe liver dysfunction. In the acute phase, most of the disease resolves on its own. When it turns into the chronic phase, the risk of viral hepatitis progressing to liver cancer is high if the disease is not well managed.
Prevent viral hepatitis by vaccination, preventing exposure to hepatitis B virus through blood and body fluids. Prevent exposure to hepatitis C virus through blood from infected people. Test for hepatitis B and C viruses if exposure is suspected and follow treatment regimen if infected.
Live healthy
According to Dr. Khanh, a scientific lifestyle helps the liver stay healthy. One of the factors that strengthens the liver is exercise. Exercises such as swimming, cycling, jogging, walking... provide abundant oxygen for the liver to detoxify.
Foods containing toxic chemicals, mold, pesticide residues, and preservatives, when entering the body, attack the liver, causing damage and destroying liver cells. You should eat a healthy diet, reduce fat, increase fiber and clean fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood fat... These are factors that develop liver cancer.
Limit alcohol and stimulants because they make the liver work harder, leading to overload. When you drink too much alcohol, the liver cannot produce enough detoxifying enzymes. The stagnant alcohol causes the liver to produce many harmful inflammatory substances, increasing the risk of fatty liver disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Cigarette smoke contains nicotine and many toxic chemicals that cause the liver to increase detoxification, increasing the risk of liver damage and cancer. You should quit smoking and limit exposure to cigarette smoke.
Emerald
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