What should I do if I have liver cancer and a fever of 38 degrees Celsius?

Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
Updated on November 30, 2024
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Liver cancer patients experiencing a fever of 38°C can be seen in the following scenarios: The first type is tumor-related fever. In liver cancer patients, especially those in the advanced stages or with large tumors, a fever of around 38°C can occur in the absence of infection symptoms. This tumor fever is related to various mediators released into the blood by the tumor. The second type is infectious fever. Cancer patients undergoing anti-tumor treatment may experience immunosuppression and concurrent infections. This type of fever often exceeds 38.5°C but can also occur around 38°C in the early stages, often accompanied by symptoms of infection such as coughing, sputum production, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The third type is treatment-related fever. Patients with liver cancer may experience a fever of around 38°C on the day of and several days following interventional treatments.

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Does early-stage liver cancer cause pain when pressed?

In the early stages of liver cancer, patients generally do not experience pain when pressing on the liver area. Pain in the liver area or a sensation of liver pain typically occurs in the middle or late stages of liver cancer and is a common manifestation. The main reasons for the pain are that the liver cancer lesions are large, causing an increase in liver volume, which leads to a tense pain in the liver capsule. Additionally, the invasion of liver cancer into the liver cells and surrounding tissues can cause pain. Another cause of pain may be abnormal hormone secretion triggered by the lesions, which then stimulates the pain perception centers, resulting in pain. For patients with early-stage liver cancer, the tumors are generally small and usually do not cause noticeable clinical symptoms. In many cases, patients may exhibit non-specific symptoms such as indigestion and mild fatigue. In contrast, patients with middle to late-stage liver cancer often exhibit more clinical manifestations due to the progression of the disease.

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Can primary liver cancer be treated?

Primary liver cancer is also treatable. Generally, if the primary liver cancer is small and has not widely metastasized, surgical resection can be considered, mainly involving hepatectomy and lymph node dissection. Postoperative comprehensive treatment including chemotherapy and radiotherapy is also applied. For primary liver cancer, interventional chemotherapy, as well as methods like cryotherapy, microwave, and ablation can be considered to control the progression of the disease. Additionally, oral targeted therapy such as sorafenib can be used. If primary liver cancer is widely metastasized at the time of detection, there generally aren’t very effective treatment options, and the average survival period might be around six months, with poor treatment outcomes.

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Can liver cancer be transmitted through sharing bowls and chopsticks?

Clinically, eating with liver cancer patients through shared utensils will not lead to the transmission of liver cancer. This is because the occurrence of liver cancer is due to carcinogenic factors acting on the body over a long period of time, causing abnormal proliferation of cells within the body, thus forming a type of neoplasm. It is fundamentally different from the onset of infectious diseases. However, many cases of liver cancer are caused by liver cirrhosis, which itself is often a result of infections such as hepatitis B virus. On the basis of cirrhosis, it may eventually develop into liver cancer. Hepatitis B virus is contagious, and sharing meals with infected individuals can easily lead to the transmission of the hepatitis B virus. Once infected with the hepatitis B virus, the patient is likely to develop hepatitis B, which in turn can lead to liver cirrhosis. From there, it may eventually progress to liver cancer. Therefore, if there is a family member who has live cancer and tests positive for the hepatitis B virus, it is advisable to use separate dining arrangements to avoid the transmission of the hepatitis B virus, which could ultimately lead to liver cancer.

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Does early-stage liver cancer cause itchy skin?

Liver cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in the digestive system. In the early stages of liver cancer, most patients do not exhibit symptoms of skin itching. It is only when the cancer progresses and causes obstructive jaundice that patients clinically develop symptoms of skin itching. Early-stage liver cancer patients typically do not show typical clinical symptoms, or they may not have any significant symptoms at all. This is because early-stage liver cancer lesions are small and localized, without external invasion or metastasis. Therefore, the impact on the entire body is minimal, and clinically it generally manifests as mild abdominal bloating, discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, and some patients may experience a dull ache or discomfort in the liver area. Because the symptoms of early-stage liver cancer are atypical, many patients are already in the middle to late stages by the time they seek medical attention, missing the opportunity for clinical cure.

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Can hepatitis B turn into liver cancer?

If hepatitis B is not effectively controlled, it can further develop into liver cancer. However, if patients adhere to standard treatment, regular check-ups, rest adequately, eat healthily, and abstain from alcohol, most conditions can be effectively controlled, significantly reducing the likelihood of developing liver cancer. Therefore, patients need not worry too much; maintaining a positive and optimistic attitude is more conducive to the recovery from the disease.