The reason why liver cancer is known to the nation, besides its high incidence, is that many famous people have died because of liver cancer, for example: Fu Biao, Luo Wen and Shen Dianxia. These celebrities are in a good financial situation, and when they fall ill, they will make the most of the quality medical resources at home and abroad, but still they cannot save their lives. The reason behind this is – liver cancer is often at an advanced stage when it is discovered. Why liver cancer is often in advanced stage when discovered? 1. Early liver cancer symptoms are not obvious. Many organs of human body have a magical function, as long as part of the organs can function. For example, the kidney, the human body can function as long as there are 1/4 kidneys. That’s why people will sell their kidneys for a variety of reasons. The same is true for the liver. A healthy liver only needs about 1/4 of it to make the body work properly. So, in the early stages of liver cancer, the liver is still functioning soundly and the body may not show symptoms of decreased liver function. I have seen many patients who did not realize that their liver cancer was advanced until the disease progressed to the point of liver ascites, which was stretching out their stomachs. Even at that time, the patient still may not have any obvious feeling. 2. Liver cancer is prone to metastasis. The most common metastasis of liver cancer is metastasis within the liver, for example, cancer cells in the left half of the liver, metastasized to the right half of the liver. There may also be tumors in several parts on both sides of the liver, which is called multiple. In addition, the tumor may block blood vessels. For example, there is a very important blood vessel in the liver called portal vein, and tumors blocking the portal vein are called portal vein cancer thrombosis, which often appears in advanced stage liver cancer. Fu Biao had a cancerous thrombus in the portal vein, and although he tried the most thorough liver transplant, he recurred soon. The easy metastasis of liver cancer and the poor treatment effect after metastasis also make liver cancer often reach advanced stage when it is found. Can liver cancer be hereditary? Hepatocellular carcinoma is not a genetic disease in the common sense. Genetic diseases refer to diseases caused by genetic mutations or chromosomal aberrations, but liver cancer does run in families. Family clustering is usually seen in mothers with hepatitis B who pass the virus to their children during delivery, causing the children to have hepatitis B as well. However, with the current state of medical care, vertical transmission of hepatitis B from childbirth is well controlled and not a cause for much concern. Liver cancer itself is not hereditary. If the mother is a hepatitis B carrier, full-term newborns must be given hepatitis B immunoglobulin and the full hepatitis B vaccination (1 dose at 0, 1 and 6 months, 3 doses in total) in a timely manner after birth. What is the relationship between hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer? You should have heard that the trilogy of hepatitis B/ C – cirrhosis – liver cancer is what most liver cancer patients go through. There is no definite length of time for the development of this trilogy, and it cannot be generalized. It depends on individual differences of patients, their living habits, whether they are actively treated or not, and other factors. Some people have a very mild degree of cirrhosis, but have grown a very large liver cancer; while some people have very severe cirrhosis, but the liver cells have not become cancerous. In fact, a significant percentage of hepatitis B/ C patients will not develop cirrhosis or liver cancer as long as they are well controlled. Therefore, patients with hepatitis need not give up on themselves, but they should not take it lightly either. They should try to stop drinking and pay attention to work and rest. What should people with high risk of liver cancer do? Suggestions: chronic hepatitis B and C patients and hepatitis virus carriers; patients clinically diagnosed with cirrhosis; people who have had liver cancer in their family. Abdominal B ultrasound + serum AFP test every 6 months. It is recommended that men over the age of 40 or women over the age of 50, people who have been drinking alcohol for a long time, and people with diabetes should attend annual checkups at the hospital.