It is well known that most patients with liver cancer have two underlying diseases, chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis.
Jaundice or ascites does not necessarily mean liver cancer, and liver cancer does not necessarily mean jaundice or ascites, and the two are not “necessarily” related.
The two symptoms are not necessarily the same, and the causes of each are different.
Cirrhosis may cause jaundice or ascites
When a patient does not have liver cancer but has cirrhosis in a decompensated state, he or she may have abnormal liver function, as evidenced by elevated total bilirubin, elevated liver enzymes, decreased albumin, abnormal coagulation, etc., and therefore jaundice or ascites.
Conversely, even if a patient has early or mid-stage liver cancer, as long as the degree of cirrhosis is still compensated, the patient’s liver function may be in the normal or near-normal range, and no yellow bile or ascites will occur at this time.
So whether a patient develops jaundice or ascites depends largely on what state the patient’s liver function is in.
Liver cancer may cause jaundice or ascites
Another cause of jaundice or ascites in patients is the well-known liver cancer.
Jaundice and/or ascites is usually present when:
- When the patient has a diffuse tumor of the liver, or when the liver cancer is accompanied by extensive portal vein trunk and branch cancer thrombosis, it tends to cause abnormal liver function and the appearance of jaundice or ascites;
- When hepatocellular carcinoma invades the bile duct or the tumor compresses the bile duct, it easily causes obstructive jaundice;
- When liver cancer metastasizes extensively in the abdominal cavity, it easily causes tumor ascites.
Therefore, when patients with liver cancer develop jaundice or ascites, specific problems must be analyzed and then treated for the cause.