Who with fatty liver actually needs monitoring? | CION Cancer Clinics

For people with cirrhosis, guidelines advise a liver ultrasound about every six months, often with an AFP blood test. Stretching the gap lets a tumour grow past the size where it is easiest to treat. Your doctor will set the interval for your own case.

Not automatically. Diabetes raises the chance of scarring, so you should certainly have a scarring check. Cancer surveillance follows only if that check shows cirrhosis or very advanced scarring. Read diabetes and liver cancer risk.

It is the standard surveillance test and works well in most people. In some people with a large waist or a very fatty liver, the picture is harder to read. If so, your doctor may suggest a CT or MRI instead, arranged through diagnostic partners.

AFP is a protein measured in the blood. Some liver cancers raise it, so it is often checked alongside the ultrasound. A normal AFP does not rule out cancer, and a raised one can have other causes. It is read together with the scan, never on its own.

Liver follow-up can often be relaxed when fat and early scarring improve. Once cirrhosis has been diagnosed, cancer surveillance usually continues even if you lose weight and feel better, because some risk remains. Ask your specialist before stopping.

Fatty liver often runs in families that share diet, genes and diabetes. Relatives with diabetes, a large waist or abnormal liver tests should ask their own doctor for a scarring check. This is about care for them, not blame for anyone.

Scarring checks and surveillance ultrasounds can often be done closer to home, as long as they are repeated reliably and compared over time. Keep every report in one folder. Read surveillance in a small town for practical tips.

Contact the doctor who ordered the scan without waiting for the next routine visit. A new spot usually needs a contrast CT or MRI to be understood. Call the CION helpline if you want the tumour board to review the images and advise on next steps.