As the number of liver disease patients continues to rise, so does the incidence of liver cancer. It has now become the second most common cancer in our country, following only lung cancer. This cancer often manifests as weight loss, fatigue, and severe pain. Once diagnosed, the chances of cure are relatively low, so it's crucial to stay vigilant in daily life—avoid liver disease and steer clear of liver cancer. Below, we'll provide detailed everyday knowledge: five simple methods to self-check your liver health.
Five Major Symptoms of Liver Cancer
1. Weight Loss and Fatigue
These symptoms often appear in the middle to late stages of liver cancer. They may result from metabolic byproducts of the tumor altering the body's biochemical processes, leading to reduced food intake and, in severe cases, cachexia.
2. Fever
Liver cancer-related fever typically ranges from 37.5°C to 38°C, occasionally exceeding 39°C. It presents as an irregular fever pattern, often without chills. Afternoon fever is common, and remittent high fever may also occur. The fever can result from tumor necrosis or its metabolic byproducts.
3. Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Common manifestations include decreased appetite, postprandial upper abdominal fullness, and occasionally nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
4. Pain
This is a common symptom in liver cancer patients. The pain is generally localized in the hepatic region. In patients with mid-to-late stage liver cancer, hepatic pain is typically felt in the right rib cage or below the xiphoid process. The nature of the pain is often persistent dull ache, dull pain, or stabbing pain. A small number of patients may experience pain with specific manifestations. Liver cancer patients may also experience referred pain in other areas.Some patients experience pain in the upper-middle abdomen, often caused by left-lobe liver cancer. This can sometimes be misdiagnosed as a stomach condition, delaying treatment. Others may present with right shoulder pain, clinically seen more often with tumors in the right lobe near the diaphragm. As these tumors involve the diaphragm, they cause referred pain in the right shoulder, which can be mistaken for frozen shoulder.
Liver cancer metastasis to other sites presents with metastatic symptoms. Metastasis to the lungs may cause chest pain; metastasis to bones may cause bone pain. Therefore, when liver cancer patients experience chest pain or bone pain, liver cancer metastasis should be considered as a possible cause.
Clinically, a small number of patients may present with sudden, severe pain in the hepatic region, often caused by the rupture and bleeding of a cancerous nodule on the liver surface. If the patient also experiences dizziness, blurred vision, palpitations, or a drop in blood pressure, it usually indicates that the cancerous nodule has ruptured and caused severe internal bleeding. In such cases, emergency treatment should be administered promptly.
5. Other Symptoms
Patients with underlying hepatitis, cirrhosis, or tumor infiltration leading to liver decompensation may exhibit bleeding tendencies, such as epistaxis, gingival bleeding, or petechiae. Hypoalbuminemia may also develop, causing edema, ascites, and abdominal distension.
Healthy dietary habits can help prevent cancer, while poor choices may contribute to its development. So how can diet aid in preventing liver cancer?
Dietary Strategies for Liver Cancer Prevention
Four Beneficial Foods
1. Tea
The tea-drinking tradition of southern Fujian is beneficial for liver cancer prevention. Iron Goddess of Mercy tea, common in the region, is particularly effective, while pre-rain Longjing tea is also excellent.
2. Consuming Carrots and Citrus Fruits
The protective effect of vegetables and fruits on the liver stems from the synergistic interaction of vitamins, minerals, and fiber they contain.Green leafy vegetables, carrots, potatoes, and citrus fruits offer the strongest preventive effects. Dr. Dong Jing recommends consuming five or more servings of vegetables and fruits daily—including a glass of juice in the morning, one piece of fruit in the afternoon, and two or more servings of vegetables with meals. This daily intake of approximately 400-800 grams can reduce your risk of liver cancer by 20%.3. Consuming Dairy Products Medical research confirms that when alcohol consumption is controlled, daily intake of dairy products—including milk and yogurt—reduces the risk of liver cancer by 78%. While children have developed the habit of consuming dairy, few adults do so regularly. This habit is worth improving.
4. Three types of bamboo shoots: bamboo shoots, lettuce, and asparagus.
Experts suggest regularly consuming these three foods can lower liver cancer incidence while offering delicious flavors.
Four Unhealthy Dietary Habits
1. Avoid moldy foods
In spring, food is highly susceptible to mold growth.Moldy foods contain aflatoxins, a liver cancer-causing substance. The shortest time required for carcinogenesis is only 24 weeks. Therefore, food should be stored properly. Once moldy, it should be discarded immediately, especially soybeans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and sugarcane. They must not be consumed. Additionally, peanut oil should not be stored for long periods. If it develops a rancid taste, it should not be consumed. Otherwise, not only will it taste bad, but more importantly, it can cause cancer.
2. Avoid or limit pickled vegetables
Pickled vegetables like sauerkraut, salted vegetables, and salted fish are refreshing and appetizing. As the weather warms and appetite wanes, many people turn to pickled vegetables as a side dish. However, these foods contain significant amounts of nitrosamines, which studies have linked to liver cancer. It is best to avoid or minimize their consumption.Remember: these foods must be fully pickled before consumption.
3. Avoid consuming rancid animal or vegetable oils
Stale oils contain the chemical compound malondialdehyde, which forms polymers that react with proteins and DNA in the human body. This reaction alters protein structures, causing mutated proteins to lose normal function and transform into precancerous cells.Additionally, these polymers can disrupt DNA replication and accelerate the aging process. Therefore, animal and vegetable oils should never be stored for extended periods. Oils that have deteriorated and developed a rancid odor should not be consumed. Foods fried or stir-fried in rancid oil not only taste unpleasant but, more critically, can cause cancer and shorten lifespan.
4. Avoid or Limit Alcohol Consumption
Chronic alcohol consumption erodes the stomach lining. Once gastric cells are damaged, toxic substances in food can be more readily absorbed, potentially causing alcoholic hepatitis. This impairs the liver's detoxification function and may lead to alcoholic cirrhosis—a significant risk factor for liver cancer. Pairing alcohol with moldy peanuts further increases this risk.Dr. Dong recommends that adult men consume no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day, while women should limit themselves to 1 drink daily.
Life Tip: Five Simple Ways to Self-Check Liver Health That concludes our guide. We hope this information proves helpful. Wishing you good health and smooth sailing this winter.