Before entering the hospital, a 47-year-old man had intermittent right upper quadrant abdominal pain, the pain gradually increased, and was examined for liver cancer.
On October 13, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Cam Phuong, Director of the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital, said the patient went to the doctor because of flank pain and body fatigue. Abdominal CT scan results detected liver tumors and liver cancer biopsy.
The doctor diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma, with cirrhosis and hepatitis. Patients were treated with systemic therapy, immunotherapy and targeted drugs, combined with hepatitis B treatment.
After three months, the liver tumor size decreased. The doctor prescribed surgery to remove the liver from the posterior segment containing the tumor. Patients continue to maintain medication and improve their quality of life.
Images of the right liver tumor do not show increased vascularity. Image: Hospital provided
Primary liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma is a malignant tumor originating from liver parenchymal cells. In Vietnam, according to GLOBOCAN 2020, hepatocellular carcinoma is the disease with the highest annual incidence rate with 26,418 cases, the death rate is nearly equivalent to the number of people infected with the disease with 25,272 cases. The disease is associated with viral hepatitis B and C, alcoholic cirrhosis, and aflatoxin poisoning.
Currently, the treatment of BMT is a multi-modality treatment, with close coordination between the specialties of internal medicine, surgery, oncology, and interventional imaging. Methods such as surgery, local tumor treatment, regional treatment, systemic treatment, radiotherapy… Depending on the stage of the disease and condition, the doctor will choose the appropriate method.
If liver cancer is detected and treated early, the survival time over 5 years is 70-80%. However, liver cancer in the early stages is often difficult to detect because the symptoms are unclear and easily overlooked.
Doctors recommend that men over 40 years old with cirrhosis due to drinking too much alcohol and infected with hepatitis B and C viruses should have regular screening to detect damage early. Get vaccinated against hepatitis B and avoid exposure to toxic chemicals that can easily damage the liver. People should go for screening every 6-12 months to detect unusual lesions early.