How Doctors Diagnose Liver Cancer in Early and Late Stages

oncare team
Updated on Jul 18, 2025 16:11 IST

By Raveena M Prakash

Liver cancer is a complex and life-threatening disease, usually detected in the advanced stages due to its silent symptoms. An early liver cancer diagnosis can significantly improve the survival rates and overall quality of life. If you are concerned with how doctors detect cancer in both early and late stages? Then read further, because we’ll break it down step-by-step for you!

In this article, we’ll dive deep into the types of diagnostic methods used for early-stage and late-stage liver cancer and why early detection matters!

How do doctors diagnose liver cancer?

An oncologist often performs a physical examination. They might ask about any of the symptoms to confirm the suspicion and may suggest you perform the following tests if you are a high-risk individual. 

Here are some of the most common tests.

  • Angiogram
  • Blood tests
  • CT scan
  • ERCP tests
  • Liver ultrasound
  • MRIs

Early Stage Liver Cancer Diagnosis

An early diagnosis of this cancer is highly crucial for successful treatment and recovery in patients. It can be achieved through practicing regular screening and understanding potential symptoms of this cancer.

Regular screening for high-risk individuals

A healthcare provider generally recommends regular screening tests for people who are at high risk for developing this type of cancer. There are some of these health conditions that increase the risk of cancer in people. 

These may include:

  • Chronic hepatitis B or C infection
  • Individuals with liver cirrhosis condition
  • Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 

Here are some common screening tools used for diagnosis. 

These may include: 

  • Ultrasounds screening: This is an effective screening method and the first safe step recommended for cancer diagnosis in the liver for a high-risk group of people.
  • Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) blood tests: This blood test is also referred to as AFP blood tests. These tests are used as a tumor marker to diagnose cancer in suspected patients. They won’t be accurate and effective enough.

Imaging tests

When the initial screening suggests any type of abnormality, then the doctors might use a detailed imaging test to get more clear information. 

These may include:

  • CT scan: Performing a CT scan on a suspected patient might help you to get clear, cross-sectional images. It helps to spot the tumor size and its location in the liver. 
  • MRI with contrast: This is an advanced imaging technique that uses a contrast agent, typically known as gadolinium. It helps to enhance the image to get the visibility of liver lesions and tumors on MRI scans. 
  • Contrast- enhanced ultrasound (CEUS): This is a significant tool used for diagnosing cancer, especially in the cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Biopsy

If any of the imaging test results appear inaccurate or inconclusive, then the doctor might perform a needle biopsy. The healthcare team might remove a small extract of tissue under a microscope. 

A liver biopsy is often performed when blood tests and other tests detect cancer in the liver. Studies have suggested that biopsies are most reliable to confirm the presence of cancer in a suspected cancer patient.

Late Stage Liver Cancer Diagnosis

In most cases, this cancer gets diagnosed in the advanced stages when the symptoms start to appear, which is clear and visible.

Some of these symptoms may include:

  • Unexplained or sudden weight loss
  • Continuous fatigue
  • Upper abdominal pain
  • Jaundice
  • Abdominal swelling

Advanced Imaging tests

There are several advanced imaging tests used to diagnose liver cancer, including CT scans, MRIs, and PET scans. Performing these techniques will help to detect and stage liver tumors, and it can also predict the best treatment options for suspected cancer patients. 

A healthcare provider might also suggest performing these tests to analyse the spread of metastasis in patients.

These tests may include:

  • Triple- Phase CT scan: This test, also known as a triphasic CT scan, is a specialised imaging procedure that requires taking multiple images of an area, specifically the liver, at different time points after the injection of a contrast agent. It is often used to diagnose any type of liver lesions, which is often found in advanced liver cancer. It helps to capture the images of the three phases after the contrast. 
  • PET/CT Scan: This is an important technique used in the advanced stages of cancer. It can be used for staging, deciding on effective planning, and monitoring the cancer progression.
  • MRI with liver-specific contrast: This is a powerful test used for diagnosing and staging late-stage liver cancer for precise surgical planning. 

Blood tests and tumor markers

Apart from AFP blood tests, other liver function tests are performed to assess any kind of liver damage in people. 

These may include:

  • Bilirubin levels
  • Liver enzymes (ALT, AST)
  • INR: Liver function tests (Blood clotting time)

Liver function assessment

In late stage liver cancer, doctors often use tests to analyse how well the liver is functioning, with the help of several tests. 

These may include:

  • Child - Pugh score: This is a clinical scoring system used to assess the severity of several chronic liver diseases, especially cirrhosis.  
  • Meld score: This is a score used to analyze the severity of chronic liver disease. It also helps to predict a patient’s three-month survival.

Laparoscopy (rare cases)

This is also known as minimally invasive surgery, and it can be a highly valuable diagnostic tool used to analyze and manage advanced-stage cancer. It offers potential benefits such as reduced recovery time and fewer complications when compared to open surgery.

Why Early Detection of Liver Cancer is Crucial?

Liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), also progresses silently in people. In the early stages of cancer, the majority of the symptoms will appear minimal or sometimes absent, which makes the need for a screening an essential part of the diagnosis.

If this cancer is diagnosed in the early stages, treatment options such as surgery and ablation are considered for the cure, which are more effective. The late-stage cancer diagnosis usually limits the effectiveness of the treatment and makes it difficult to manage the disease. It affects the overall quality of life.

Consult Today

Diagnosis of liver cancer in the early stages involves performing regular screenings, blood tests, and imaging tests, especially for high-risk group individuals. In the advanced stages, advanced imaging tests and liver function assessments used to guide treatment planning. If you belong to a high-risk group early detection can be truly life-saving.  

At Oncare, we offer quality cancer treatments including advanced cancer treatments at affordable price ranges with an experienced cancer specialist consultation.

If you or any loved ones of yours are diagnosed with cancer, then visit Oncare Cancer Center and book an appointment with our cancer specialists. Get an estimated cost of your cancer treatments.

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