Patients with primary liver cancer have different symptoms and complications depending on the stage of the tumor and the degree of cirrhosis.
Particularly when advanced tumors are accompanied by cirrhotic decompensation, complications of liver tumors and complications of cirrhosis often affect each other in a vicious circle.
The following describes common liver cancer complications, and how to prevent and manage them.
Tumor rupture and bleeding
This complication is likely to occur if the liver tumor is located in a marginal area of the liver and grows exophytically.
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma should be promptly treated with appropriate anti-tumor therapy. Surgical resection is performed if there is an opportunity for surgery; otherwise, interventional therapy is performed to reduce or minimize the chance of tumor rupture and bleeding.
In life, patients should avoid external impact on the liver tumor site and avoid vigorous, abdominal pressure-increasing movements to prevent tumor rupture and bleeding.
If hepatic tumor rupture and bleeding has already occurred, emergency treatment is performed after active supportive symptomatic treatment and on the basis of stabilization of vital signs: liver tumor resection is chosen if the indications for surgery are met, otherwise emergency interventional treatment is performed.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding
When a liver tumor is combined with cancerous thrombosis of the portal vein trunk and its branches, it can easily complicate upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to increased portal vein pressure on top of the patient’s pre-existing cirrhosis.
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma should be treated accordingly for liver tumors and portal vein carcinoma thrombosis.
If upper gastrointestinal bleeding has already occurred, pharmacological treatment, local treatment (three-chamber diathermy tube compression), and endoscopic treatment if necessary, depending on the patient’s specific situation.
Abnormal liver function
When the tumor grows diffusely, or is combined with carcinoma thrombosis of the main portal vein and its branches, or with decompensated cirrhosis, the patient’s liver function status deteriorates as the tumor progresses, and hepatorenal syndrome or hepatic encephalopathy may even develop.
Most patients in this group are deprived of antitumor therapy and can only be treated with aggressive liver protection and symptomatic support.
Pathologic fractures
When patients with liver cancer develop bone metastases, they are prone to pathologic fractures with pain, limited function, or loss.
If a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma has pain in a fixed area, further testing is needed to confirm or rule out the presence of bone metastases.
If bone metastases from liver cancer are confirmed, appropriate treatment should be given at the appropriate time.
Cancerous fever
Tumor patients, especially those with advanced tumors, are more likely to have cancer fever and need to rule out infection to confirm whether it is cancer fever.
If this symptom occurs, aggressive supportive symptomatic therapy should be given along with treatment of the tumor.