A doctor examines a patient to detect liver cancer early at the Vietnam National Cancer Hospital in Hà Nội. (Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn) The number accounts for 21% of the deaths caused by cancer in the country. Thedata was revealed by the Vietnam National Cancer Hospital at a recent eventnamed “Correct understanding of liver cancer”.
The hospital said 90% of liver cancer cases in Vietnam were hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC) and 77% were men.
Lai Phu Thai Son, deputy head of the Outpatient Department at the hospital’s TanTrieu Facility told Suc khoe & Doi song (Health & Life) onlinenewspaper that symptoms of liver cancer were often atypical and easilyoverlooked.
Most patients often came to see the doctor for disease detection and treatmentwhen the disease was at a late stage, he said.
It caused treatment more difficult and costly, he said.
Experts recommend people pay more attention to the issue of early screening inthe hope of detecting and treating early.
There are liver cancer patients extending their lives for a dozen years thanksto early detection and timely treatment.
Ha Hai Nam, deputy head of the hospital’s Department of Abdominal Surgery 1,said there were some high-risk groups who need to be early screened for livercancer.
People with hepatitis B and C viruses, cirrhosis, fatty liver, or having one oftheir family members contracted liver cancer need to be screened early,according to Nam.
If a person has contracted active hepatitis B and C viruses, he or she needs tobe treated early to avoid the risk of complications into liver cancer becausehepatitis B and C viruses are believed to be the leading causes of primaryhepatocellular carcinoma.
People who have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B should be vaccinated assoon as possible to avoid the risk of infection later.
People, who are obese, has diabetes, and drank a lot of alcohol should also beearly screened for liver cancer.
In recent years, the rate of people with diabetes, obesity and liver cancer inthe world has increased significantly. High blood sugar and blood fataccumulated in the liver lead to degenerative damage to liver cells and causingcirrhosis, increasing the risk of liver cancer.
Nam also added that alcohol had the ability to promote oncogenes to developrapidly, leading to early cancer. In addition, alcohol also damaged livercells. When drinking too much alcohol, the liver's detoxification functionwould be overloaded, and liver cells were severely damaged, forming scartissue, fibrosis, thereby forming cirrhotic liver rafts and liver cancer.
People who often use stimulants such as tobacco and coffee with large amountsfor a long time could get liver diseases, including liver cancer, according tothe doctor.
People who eat mouldy foods also have to be early screened for liver cancer.
Aflatoxins in mould are the most powerful liver cancer-causing toxin today.Aflatoxins cause liver cancer by causing mutations in the p53 gene. Mould oftenoccurs in preserved foods, stored in a hot and humid environment such as rice,peanuts, soybeans, wheat and corn.
People who often eat meat contaminated with fluke also should be early screenedfor liver cancer.
Raw foods that are not carefully processed often contain many types of flukes,including some flukes when entering the body, would destroy the liver, causeliver cancer.
People who used or exposed to some drugs and chemicals, such as thorotrast andvinyl chloride, for a long time are advised to be screened for liver cancerbecause the drugs and chemicals could cause damage to the liver and lead toliver cancer./.
VNA
