The difference between primary liver cancer and secondary liver cancer.

Written by Sun Wei
Surgical Oncology
Updated on September 16, 2024
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Primary liver cancer generally refers to tumors whose cancer cells originate from the liver itself or from the intrahepatic bile ducts. Secondary liver cancer usually refers to cancer that has metastasized to the liver from other parts of the body, which is the main difference between the two. Additionally, primary liver cancer might progress rapidly, potentially resulting in a short survival time, especially in cases of large, inoperable tumors, where most survival times range from half a year to about a year. In contrast, secondary liver cancer might have a longer survival time, and initial symptoms are generally milder. Also, tumor markers like alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tend to be higher in primary liver cancer, whereas in secondary liver cancer, this marker may be normal.

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What are the symptoms on the face in the early stages of liver cancer?

In early-stage liver cancer patients, symptoms generally do not appear on their faces. This is because the tumors in early liver cancer are small, the lesions are localized, with shallow infiltration, no invasion of surrounding tissues or metastasis to distant organs, and thus, less damage to liver cells. Therefore, most cases do not show obvious symptoms clinically. Only when the lesions progress further do symptoms of disease dissemination appear in patients. These symptoms include persistent pain in the liver area, a significant decrease in appetite, fatigue, fever, and weight loss. Some patients may also experience symptoms of metastatic lesions, such as pain in bone metastases, headache, vomiting, hemiplegia, and aphasia in brain metastases, and cough, breathing difficulties, and chest pain in lung metastases.

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Is increased lung markings related to liver cancer?

Increased pulmonary markings are clinically associated with many inducing factors, but they are not directly related to liver cancer. It's important to understand that liver cancer involves the presence of cancer cells in the liver, while increased pulmonary markings are radiographic signs observed during lung imaging examinations. Clinically, there are many factors that can lead to increased pulmonary markings, but liver cancer does not cause this condition. Typically, increased pulmonary markings may be due to excessive obesity, long-term smoking, or the presence of inflammatory lesions in the lungs, all of which can cause varying degrees of increased pulmonary markings.

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Will early-stage liver cancer cause a low-grade fever?

Patients with early-stage liver cancer may experience low-grade fevers, primarily due to the following two reasons: First, tumor fever. In the early stages of liver cancer, some tumor cells can release tumor mediators into the bloodstream, affecting the function of the temperature regulation center and causing the patient to develop a fever. This type of tumor fever is usually not very high, remaining below 38.5°C, without concurrent symptoms or signs of infection. A complete blood count typically indicates that the total number of white blood cells and the proportion of neutrophils are not elevated. The second scenario involves patients in the early stages of liver cancer experiencing fever due to concurrent infections. These patients often present with symptoms and signs related to infection, such as coughing up phlegm, abdominal pain and diarrhea, and urinary frequency, urgency, or pain. The proportion of white blood cells and neutrophils is significantly increased in these cases.

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Symptoms of late-stage liver cancer deterioration

If liver cancer reaches an advanced stage, many symptoms will appear. For example, there will be pain in the liver area due to the tumor's growth pulling on the liver capsule, causing persistent swelling in the upper right part or stomach pain. If the tumor invades the pectoral muscles, it may cause referred pain in the right shoulder or back. Some patients may experience an enlarged liver due to the increased size of the tumor, which feels painful when pressed. Additionally, the increase and pressure from the tumor can obstruct bile excretion, leading to jaundice, and symptoms of cirrhosis may also appear. In general, the main symptoms of advanced liver cancer include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss. If the condition worsens, metastatic symptoms may occur; lung metastasis can cause the patient to cough and expel phlegm, and bone metastasis can cause localized pain and lumps.

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Is primary liver cancer contagious?

Primary liver cancer refers to malignant tumors that occur in the liver and are not metastasized from other parts of the body. Such liver cancer itself is not contagious. However, if liver cancer patients have other infectious diseases, transmission may be possible. Most primary liver cancers are related to liver cirrhosis following hepatitis, with hepatitis B being the most common. If accompanied by hepatitis B, it can be contagious, but it usually doesn't spread through regular daily contact. The main transmission routes for hepatitis B are through blood, mother-to-child transmission, and sexual transmission. This means that as long as the patient's blood does not injure someone else, contagion is generally unlikely, so there is no need for excessive worry.