Diagnosis of liver cancer
It is not widely practiced for all patients to undergo radiographic examinations for the early detection of primary liver cancer, but it is possible to perform these examinations for people who have a high risk of infection, and despite this, research has not been able to determine if radiography is appropriate and effective for all patients.
To diagnose liver cancer, the presence of other diseases that may have similar symptoms must first be ruled out.
Other additional examinations include:
Blood tests
- These tests measure tumor markers, which are substances that rise in the blood when you have liver cancer, and can help determine the diagnosis.
- Liver cancer secretes a substance called Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP – Alpha-fetoprotein), which is generally found in fetuses and disappears at birth.
Ultrasound examination
- It is generally the first examination performed; This is because it can detect tumors as large as 1 centimeter.
Computed tomography (CT) and MRI – Magnetic resonance imaging
- These two tests can detect existing tumors and help classify and grade them, but they often give false positive results.
Biopsy
- It is the only examination that distinguishes between a benign tumor and a malignant one.
Laparoscopy
- It is an effective examination to detect small tumors, determine the circumference of cirrhosis in the liver, take a sample for biopsy, and so on.