Detecting liver cancer during a health check-up

On March 11, specialist doctor Pham Minh Tien (Department of General Surgery, Xuyen A General Hospital) said that after evaluating based on CT images and tests, the doctors diagnosed this as hepatocellular carcinoma with a size of 2-3 cm. After a consensus consultation and consent from the patient, the doctors decided to perform laparoscopic surgery to remove the posterior segment of the liver containing the tumor.

The part of the liver with the tumor in the right flank area is difficult to access, so the doctors decided to perform laparoscopic surgery with a small incision in the lower flank area to remove the posterior lobe of the liver containing the tumor, ensuring liver function. The laparoscopic surgery method with a small incision, minimally invasive, helps the patient recover quickly. The amount of blood loss during surgery is small, thereby minimizing the risks in surgeries, ensuring stable health for the patient, shortening the recovery time.

"This patient had a history of hepatitis B and C but was regularly monitored and treated. Furthermore, the patient also had regular general health check-ups, so fortunately the liver tumor was detected when it was still small, making treatment much easier than in cases where the tumor had progressed to a large extent," Dr. Tien shared.

Image of laparoscopic surgery to remove liver tumor

PHOTO: BSCC

After 7 days of surgery, the patient was able to eat and return to normal activities.

According to Dr. Tien, liver tumors are a latent disease, most patients discover the disease when the tumor has progressed severely. Therefore, Dr. Tien recommends that patients with high risk factors such as frequent alcohol consumption, hepatitis B, C should have a general examination as well as a liver ultrasound every 3-6 months to detect early liver damage for timely intervention, bringing high treatment efficiency.