Diet and lifestyle

Detection Of Liver Cancer

How is Liver Cancer diagnosed?
All About The Liver There are many different methods a doctor can use to detect liver cancer in a patient. This is called the diagnosis of liver cancer.

Through a Body Checkup:

During a body checkup, the patient will lie on his back. He has to relax himself while the doctor studies his liver by feeling the right upper part of his "stomach" (abdomen). The doctor starts by pressing his hands at the area above the tummy and then slowly moves his hands upwards. Through this, he will then be able to know if the shape and the firmness of the patient’s liver is normal. To find out the size of the liver, the doctor places a finger at the ribcage (the curve bones around the chest) and uses another finger to tap at it. The tapping sound will help him to decide the size of the liver.

Through blood tests:

A blood test machine

Blood samples

Laparoscopy:

Liver cancer can be detected when a special substance is increased in the blood. This substance is called a tumour marker. For liver cancer, the marker is alpha-foetoprotein(AFP).

A laparoscope is a small tube-like tool for checking the abdomen and can show the liver and pancreas of a patient. It also has a tiny camera at its end that gives out light. During laparoscopy, the doctor will give the patient an injection to put him to sleep, so that he will not feel any pain (anesthetic), because a small cut has to be made in his tummy to put in the instrument.

Liver Biopsy

A liver biopsy means taking a sample of a patient’s tissue and studying it using a microscope. It can give us exact knowledge on the liver. Through a liver biopsy, the doctor will be able to know whether there is cancer in the cells or whether cancer has spread to other parts of the liver.

Healthy cells are arranged neatly, while cancer cells have weird shapes and looks messy. A thin needle is inserted into the patient’s liver after he has taken painkillers. It normally only takes one day and the patient can go home right after it.

Ultrasound:

Ultrasound is used to produce the shape of the liver on the computer screen. During ultrasound scanning, a jelly-like substance is applied on the patient’s stomach above where the liver is.

Then, a scanner is passed over the skin. It sends out sound waves into the body. These sounds will have echoes. These echoes then appear on the computer as lines. The lines make up the shape of the liver. Ultrasound only takes a few minutes, so the doctor will be able to know the results very quickly.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is safer because it does not use x-rays and do not affect other healthy cells. MRI uses a powerful magnet to make pictures of organs and tissue inside the body.

The magnet "tickles" the body's cells. The cells give off small electricity that are picked up by a scanner and forms lines which will make the shape of the liver. MRI is very sensitive for the liver and can display the liver easily.

CT-Scan (Computerised Tomography Scan):

The CT scan (Computerized Tomography) is a form of x-ray that creates an image of the inside of the body. The CT-scan is a thin line of x-ray light shone over a small part of the body. The computer studies the information to put together an image of the tissues and organs of the body.

Often, a coloured dye is injected into the vein to make the liver easier to spot. Different types dyes and scanning ways will provide a lot of information about the state of the liver.

Results may show tumors and help in showing the number and place it is in. They can also show if the organ is not working normally or any abnormal things or tissues in the liver. They can even show if the vessel leading to the liver is blocked.