What Tests Are Used to Detect Liver Cancer?

Update Date: 2024-05-22 Source: Network

Early liver cancer lacks specific symptoms, and patients may experience pain in the liver area, abdominal distension, weight loss, and other manifestations. These symptoms are easily confused with other diseases, making it difficult to diagnose liver cancer based on symptoms alone. When suspected symptoms are detected, professional examinations are needed to confirm whether liver cancer is present. So, what can be used to detect liver cancer? Let's take a look at the examination methods for liver cancer.

1. Laboratory examination for primary liver cancer

(1) Detection of serum markers for liver cancer

① Measurement of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has relative specificity for the diagnosis of this disease. A radioimmunoassay can be used to determine a sustained serum AFP level ≥400μg/L, and if pregnancy, active liver disease, etc., can be excluded, a diagnosis of liver cancer can be considered. Clinically, about 30% of liver cancer patients have negative AFP. The detection of AFP isoforms can significantly increase the positive rate.

② Blood enzyme and other tumor marker tests may show elevated levels of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and its isoenzymes, abnormal prothrombin, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in the serum of patients with liver cancer. However, these lack specificity.

(2) Imaging examinations

① Ultrasound examination can reveal the size, shape, location of the tumor, and the presence of cancer emboli in the hepatic veins or portal veins. The diagnostic accuracy rate can reach 90%.

② CT examination has high resolution and can achieve a diagnostic accuracy rate of over 90% for liver cancer, allowing for the detection of small cancerous lesions with a diameter of approximately 1.0cm.

③ MRI examination has similar diagnostic value to CT and is superior to CT in distinguishing benign and malignant intrahepatic space-occupying lesions, especially compared to hemangiomas.

④ Selective celiac trunk or hepatic artery angiography can be used to examine tumors with rich blood vessels, with a resolution limit of approximately 1cm.