What Is Liver Cancer?
Liver cancer refers to cancerous growth that is observed in the liver. It is also known as hepatic malignancy or hepatic cancer. Hepatic cancers are on the rise globally.
Liver malignancy can be divided into:
- Primary malignancy: Cancer which occurs within the liver is referred to as primary malignancy of liver.
- Secondary malignancy: The cancer that spreads to the liver and is of distant origin is referred to as secondary malignancy of liver or metastasis.
What Are the Symptoms of Liver Cancer?
Symptoms or signs of liver cancer vary with the type of liver carcinoma and may be:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Anorexia
- Weight loss
- Jaundice
- Anemia
- Pruritus
- Abdominal mass/lump
- Hepatomegaly
- Sweating
- Back pain
- Weakness
- Easy bruising etc.
What Are the Uses of PET Scan in Liver Cancer?
Altered metabolism and growth occurs in cancerous cells. PET Scan is commonly employed for evaluation and assessment of metabolic and biochemical characteristics of tissues or organ.
Why Prescribed a PET scan of liver?
Your doctor may prescribed a PET scan for the following purposes:
- Staging of cancer: PET scan can be employed for liver cancer staging.
- Detection of metastases: Secondary malignant growths at distant site from primary tumours is known as metastases. PET scan plays an important role in identification and localization of metastases.
- To monitor efficacy of treatment.
- To evaluate the prognosis of cancer patients.
- To check for Cancer recurrence post treatment.
How Do I Prepare for PET Scan in Liver Cancer?
Follow these steps if you are going for a PET scan:
Take an appointment: Book your appointment in a best Diagnostic center with the facility of PET scan since it is not available in all centers. It also saves your time by not waiting at the time of scan.
Fasting: 6-7 hours fasting is needed for PET scan.
Avoid Caffeine: Avoid all caffeinated products for 24-hours prior to the scan.
Smoking and tobacco: Do not smoke or chew tobacco on the day of your scan because nicotine from these products leads to vasoconstriction and could potentially change the test result.
Clothing: Wear the most comfortable clothes possible and that are easy to wear and remove.
Medications: Some drugs can change test results. Let your doctor know about all drugs and supplements you take.
Allergy: Alert your Clinician regarding previous history of allergy to any medication or drugs.
Pregnancy and lactation: Inform your doctor regarding pregnancy if you are pregnant or if you nursed your child so that your doctor can assess the benefit vs risk ratio.
Implants: Alert your doctor regarding implants in your body like cardiac implants, inner ear implants, metallic dentures, neurostimulators or any hearing aids etc.
Claustrophobia and anxiety: If you suffer from claustrophobia or anxiety disorder then don’t hold back to inform your doctor. He can administer sedatives or some other alternatives to conquer this while conducting tests.
Exercise: Do not do any rigorous exercise for 24-hours before your test.
Medical reports: Do not forget to bring all the relevant medical reports with you while going for PET scan. These reports can help in more proper assessment of your condition.
Take a company: Take someone along with you like a friend or relative for mental, emotional and physical support and to drop you back home.
What Is the Procedure for PET Scan in Liver Cancer?
Procedure of PET scan involves the following steps:
- Written permission is needed prior to when the procedure is started.
- You will be then required to undress and put on a gown offered by the assisting technician.
- You will be required to take off all the metallic items such as jewellery, hearing aids, metallic hair clips, metallic underwired bras, wallets, keys, coins, cards having metallic strips, belts, goggles etc.
- An intravenous injection of radiopharmaceutical agent typically FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) is administered to you.
- You will then be required to sit still for approximately an hour to enable the radiotracer agent to distribute to your body tissues and organs through the bloodstream. The radioactive agent is accumulated in highly metabolizing regions like cancerous tissues.
- If PET-CT is being planned then you can be administered yet another intravenous injection of a contrast agent that produces high resolution images on CT scan.
- You might be supplied with head phones or earplugs to help you feel more comfortable.
- If you suffer from Claustrophobia or anxiety disorder, then you might be supplied with sedatives or some other alternatives to make you feel comfortable throughout the scan.
- Prior to the scan, your attending doctor will tell you about all the potential side effects of receiving radiopharmaceutical or contrast material like itching, rash, swelling etc. Your KFT report will be needed to exclude any kidney disease/pathology and to monitor your GFR.
- You will then be requested to lie supine on the examination table which will slide and put you within the scanner.
- You must remain still for the procedure since body movements can interfere with the quality of the images generated.
- Your Radiologist will acquire multiple images to assess the underlying pathology and at the end these images will be read to establish a definite diagnosis.
After PET Scan
After imaging is completed you can be permitted to come out of the scanner room and are required to wait in the observation room for a while, in order to monitor for any potential side effect of the radioactive or contrast material employed. You will have to take water to flush out the radiotracer or contrast material from your system.
Cost of PET Scan for Liver Cancer in Delhi?
Cost of PET scan usually differs with city and location. Different diagnostic and imaging centers charges differently based on the quality of machines they offer and the promotions currently available in them. PET scan fees also differ based on the body part which need to be scanned and the type of PET scan.
PET scan test is a modern diagnostic and monitoring facility that is only available in limited diagnostic centers as it involves expensive and latest equipment and experienced Radiologists to carry out the scan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Time taken for PET scan in Liver cancer?
The entire process of PET scan is for around 2 hours. It would take about 60 minutes to initiate the scanning process after administering an intravenous radioactive tracer. The PET scan process itself takes about 30-40 minutes.
It could even take longer based on how severe your disease condition is and related co-morbidities.
Q. How long does a PET scan report take?
You’ll receive reports the following day. But you may obtain the image films on the same day if your doctor so requires.
Q. How is liver cancer screening performed?
cancer is present. Patients with chronic liver disease or individuals with high risk factors for hepatic cancer are recommended to have regular screening by the use of ultrasound imaging every 6 months. Early screening and determining the need for further testing in case of abnormal reports is facilitated by the use of ultrasound.
But diagnostic tests are suggested in the presence of signs or symptoms of hepatic cancer or if the screening test is suspicious or abnormal.
Q. What are the risk factors for liver cancer?
There are several risk factors for the development of liver or hepatic cancer such as:
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Male sex
- Smoking
- Alcohol intake
- Intake of OCP >5years
- Liver flukes
- Radiation exposure.
Diseases such as:
- Chronic liver diseases
- Diabetes
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Congenital hepatic fibrosis
- Caroli’s disease
- Choledochal cysts.
Genetic disorders:
- Wilson’s disease
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- Hereditary hemochromatosis
- Glycogen storage diseases
- Tyrosinemia
- Porphyria cutanea tarda.
Q. What are the causes of liver cancer?
There are various reasons for liver cancer, among which the major causes of hepatic cancer are as below:
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Liver cirrhosis
- Alcoholism
- NASH (Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis)
- PVC (Polyvinyl chloride)
- Aflatoxin
- Thorotrast
- Arsenic
Q. Where to get PET scan for liver disease?
You can choose carebox, we’re connected with the best diagnostic and Imaging centres in Delhi.
