Cirrhosis Surveillance: What You Need to Know About Monitoring Liver Damage

When your liver is scarred from long-term damage, cirrhosis, a late-stage condition where healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, impairing function. Also known as end-stage liver disease, it doesn’t just slow down your liver—it raises your risk of liver cancer and dangerous fluid buildup. That’s why cirrhosis surveillance isn’t optional. It’s the difference between catching a treatable tumor early and facing a crisis.

Surveillance means regular check-ups designed to spot problems before they explode. The biggest threat? hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer that often develops in cirrhotic livers. Studies show that people with cirrhosis have up to a 3% annual risk of developing it. That’s why guidelines recommend every six months: an ultrasound to scan for masses and a blood test for AFP (alpha-fetoprotein), a protein that can rise when liver cancer is growing. But it’s not just cancer. portal hypertension, high blood pressure in the vein that carries blood to the liver can cause swollen veins in your esophagus, which might burst and bleed. Surveillance includes checking for fluid in your belly, changes in kidney function, and signs of confusion from toxin buildup.

Most people with cirrhosis don’t feel sick until something goes wrong. That’s why waiting for symptoms is like waiting for a fire alarm to go off before you check the smoke detector. Surveillance is your early-warning system. It’s not about fixing the scar tissue—you can’t undo that. It’s about stopping what comes next. The posts below cover real cases, testing protocols, and how doctors decide who needs what test, when. You’ll find guides on ultrasound accuracy, why AFP alone isn’t enough, how to manage complications like ascites, and what happens if cancer is found. This isn’t theory. It’s what’s happening in clinics right now to keep people alive.