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Diagnosis of liver cancer
Last reviewed: 19.11.2021
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Timely diagnosis of liver cancer at an early stage of the pathological process by 30% increases the patient's chances of surviving.
Liver cancer is a tumor with a malignant course that forms in the liver. It consists of degenerated hepatic cells, or develops as a metastasis from another cancerous tumor. Annually, 500 thousand people on the planet are diagnosed with this terrible disease.
The main diagnostic measures for this tumor are as follows:
- method of ultrasound;
- method of magnetic resonance imaging;
- method of computed tomography;
- punctional tissue focal biopsy;
- genetic tests;
- detection of cancer markers in the blood.
The most common diagnostic procedure is ultrasound of the abdominal organs.
[Ultrasound diagnosis of liver cancer
Ultrasound diagnosis of liver cancer by right holds a leading place among the surveys for suspected malignant education. Ultrasound provides an opportunity to see not only the tumor as such, but also to consider its structure.
This type of diagnosis requires some preparation of the patient: the procedure should be carried out on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning; in the case of ultrasound, in the afternoon or evening, food is allowed to be taken no later than 10 hours before the procedure; as far as possible, try to refrain from taking medication before the test. To improve image quality, it is recommended to take several activated carbon or espumizan tablets before diagnosis, this will reduce the manifestations of flatulence. If the patient suffers from overweight, a cleansing enema should be made before the procedure.
The patient is offered to lie on his back: this position allows a good scan of the liver, its contours and characteristics. After that, the examinee lies down on the left side, and the procedure is repeated. It is also advisable to examine the patient in an upright position, fixing the breath at the maximum inspiration.
We offer you for consideration the main ultrasound signs of a cancerous tumor:
- hepatic lobes have a heterogeneous structure;
- ultrasonic waves are damped in a certain area of the liver;
- increased density of parenchyma;
- contours of the body do not correspond to standard indicators;
- there are signs of hepatomegaly;
- disturbed vascular pattern of the organ;
- There are visible seals in the branching region of the portal vein.
This diagnostic method can detect a malignant process at almost all stages of development.
Ultrasound diagnosis of liver cancer is extremely important for the correct diagnosis, but the final verdict is made solely on the basis of biopsy results followed by histological examination.