What are small and large hepatocellular carcinomas?
The criteria for small liver cancer in China are
The criteria for small liver cancer in China are: a single cancer nodule with a maximum diameter of no more than 3 cm; and multiple cancer nodules with a number of no more than two and a combined maximum diameter of less than 3 cm.
After these criteria, it is called large liver cancer.
What is the difference in symptoms between large and small liver cancers?
Small liver cancers have no symptoms.
Small liver cancers mostly have no clinical symptoms or signs and are mostly detected by physical examination. Large liver cancers have an increased chance of spreading and metastasizing and are often accompanied by more obvious clinical symptoms such as abdominal distention, abdominal pain, weight loss, and jaundice.
Differences in treatments for large and small liver cancers
Small hepatocellular carcinoma can undergo radical treatments such as surgical resection and radiofrequency ablation.
Large hepatocellular carcinoma is more variable:
- If it is still confined to the liver, has no distant metastases, and the cirrhosis is not severe, surgical resection can still be considered; if surgical resection is not possible, hepatic artery embolization chemotherapy is an option.
- For those who already have distant metastases (e.g., lung metastases, bone metastases), systemic drug therapy, such as molecular targeted therapy, can be applied in combination.
- Radiotherapy is also effective for distant metastases (e.g. bone metastases, etc.) to control metastases and relieve pain.
Differences in the prognosis of large and small liver cancers
The 5-year overall survival rate after surgical resection of clinical primary liver cancer is 30% to 50%, with the 5-year survival rate after resection of large hepatocellular carcinoma being only about 30%, while the 5-year survival rate after resection of small hepatocellular carcinoma can be 50 to 60%.