Cirrhosis is a progressive chronic liver disease caused by one or more causes and characterized histologically by diffuse fibrosis, pseudobulbar and regenerative nodules of liver tissue. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a malignant tumor arising from hepatocytes or intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells, and is one of the common malignant tumors in China. Liver cirrhosis is a benign lesion, mostly chronic progressive with a long course. Liver cancer is a malignant tumor with a faster progression.
In China, the current cause of cirrhosis is mainly viral hepatitis. The cause and pathogenesis of liver cancer is not yet fully understood, but is also related to viral hepatitis. The typical clinical course of the disease is: hepatitis B infection → chronic hepatitis → cirrhosis → liver cancer, also known as the “liver cancer trilogy”, which means that cirrhosis may evolve into liver cancer.
Cirrhosis usually starts insidiously and progresses slowly, and clinically it is broadly divided into compensated and decompensated stages. The majority of patients in the compensated stage are asymptomatic or less symptomatic, and may have symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, fatigue, loss of appetite, indigestion and diarrhea. The early stage of hepatocellular carcinoma has no obvious symptoms, and the late stage may show pain in the liver area, rupture and bleeding, metastasis, and infection.
Early detection of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and early treatment are the main ways to improve the outcome.
The prevention of both cirrhosis and liver cancer should pay attention to: 1. ensure adequate rest. 2. drink alcohol in moderation and do not abuse drugs. 3. eat vegetables and fruits often and do not eat food that is not fresh or moldy. 4. avoid infection with the hepatitis virus (the main transmission routes are blood transmission, sexual transmission, and mother-to-child transmission; shared meals usually do not cause transmission).
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