How to prevent liver cancer?

Liver cancer is currently a type of cancer with a high mortality rate from malignant tumors in my country. The symptoms of liver cancer are not obvious in the early stage. In the late stage, the main symptoms include liver pain, fatigue, weight loss, jaundice, ascites and other symptoms. The incidence rate of liver cancer is relatively high, and many famous people have died of liver cancer, such as celebrities: Fu Biao, Luo Wen, Alex Shum, and Ng Meng-tat.

So, which groups are prone to liver cancer?

1. Chronic hepatitis B and C patients and hepatitis virus carriers. The path most Chinese liver cancer patients go through is: first experience hepatitis for 10 to 15 years, then experience cirrhosis for 3 to 5 years, and finally develop liver cancer.

2. Have family history. Liver cancer is hereditary, and many liver cancer patients have other relatives in their families who have had liver cancer. If a relative in the family has liver cancer, the likelihood of other family members getting liver cancer is dozens of times higher than that of ordinary people.

3. Aflatoxin infection. Aflatoxin is found in moldy foods (such as corn, peanuts). Long-term consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food or drinking water contaminated by toxins is also a common factor causing liver cancer.

So, how should we prevent liver cancer?

Liver cancer is easily preventable. Preventing the spread of viral hepatitis B or C is the most effective measure to prevent liver cancer.

Liver cancer is also easy to diagnose early. I have regular experiences every year, including color ultrasound examination of the liver and blood tests for alpha-fetoprotein. It can be easily cured if caught early.

Prevention of liver cancer:

1. Inject hepatitis B vaccine.

Among the Chinese population, the infection rate of hepatitis B virus is as high as over 13%. Once infected with hepatitis B, there is currently no complete cure. Therefore, preventing hepatitis is one of the most important measures to prevent liver cancer. Hepatitis B virus is spread through body fluids (such as blood, secretions, etc.). In addition to paying attention to hygienic use of blood products and not using razors and toothbrushes with others, vaccination with hepatitis B vaccine is the simplest and most effective prevention method. Not only do children need to be vaccinated against hepatitis B when they are born, but adults who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B or have had hepatitis can also be vaccinated against hepatitis B.

2. Don’t eat moldy food.

Moldy food often contains aflatoxin, which is also one of the important factors that promote liver cancer. Moldy foods, such as moldy corn, peanuts, melon seeds, etc., contain more aflatoxins and should not be eaten.

3. A good lifestyle.

Quit smoking and drinking. Excessive drinking can easily lead to alcoholic hepatitis, which can reduce people's immune function and damage the detoxification function of the liver. At the same time, the intake of nitrosamines should be reduced in life. Eat less pickled foods, smoked foods, and grilled foods.

4. Regular physical examination.

If someone in the family suffers from liver cancer or other types of tumors, other members of the family should pay special attention. You should develop a good habit of regular physical examinations. Every six months, go to the hospital for an abdominal B-ultrasound examination + serum alpha-fetoprotein test. It is recommended that men over 40 years old or women over 50 years old, people who drink alcohol for a long time, and patients with diabetes go to the hospital for a physical examination every year.