12 signs of liver cancer to be aware of

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Digestive problems and constant fatigue can indicate a serious illness.

Liver cancer is primary and metastatic. In the first case, a malignant tumor arises from Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) / Medscape from hepatic cells or bile ducts, usually in the presence of cirrhosis. In the second, the disease appears due to the penetration of metastases of cancer of other organs.

What are the symptoms of liver cancer

They are the same for primary and metastatic variants. In the early stages, there are often no signs of illness. Only in advanced form do Liver cancer / NHS appear some of the following symptoms.

1. Jaundice

With liver tumors in humans, the metabolism of the bilirubin pigment is disturbed, part of it gets back into the blood, so the whites of the eyes and skin become yellow. In addition, bilirubin irritates the nerve endings in the epidermis, leading to severe itching in Jaundice / U. S. National Library of Medicine.

2. Changes in stool and urine

Since bilirubin is not completely broken down in the liver and does not enter the intestines, the color of the feces changes. He becomes Jaundice / U. S. National Library of Medicine white and chalk-like, and urine, on the contrary, darkens.

3. Problems with digestion

With liver cancer, a person sometimes experiences nausea, vomiting, or indigestion. During meals, the feeling of fullness often occurs earlier than normal. These sensations are associated with an enlarged liver and pressure on the stomach.

4. Weight loss

Many people lose weight for no apparent reason. This is due to the fact that the liver is involved in the metabolism of glucose, fats and protein synthesis, and if the function of the organ is impaired, these substances are not properly absorbed.

And because of the premature feeling of fullness, a person can eat less than necessary, which also leads to weight loss.

5. Constant fatigue

This is associated with a change in metabolism. The person may find they tire quickly or feel like they are getting the flu.

6. Bruises on the skin

Normally, the liver synthesizes proteins and vitamin K, which are involved in blood clotting. In cancer, function is impaired, which makes the person bleeding easily. Bruises can appear for no apparent reason or from minor exposure.

7. Enlargement of the liver and pain under the ribs

The growing tumor stretches the liver, it becomes larger, and its edge comes out from under the ribs. As a result, in the right hypochondrium there is a feeling of fullness or aching pain.

8. Pain under the scapula on the right or in the back

A liver with a tumor presses on the nerves passing nearby, so pain may appear, which radiates under the scapula or in the back.

9. Enlargement of the abdomen

This is what happens in Ascites / U. S. National Library of Medicine due to ascites, or fluid accumulation, and the abdomen can become very large. There are two reasons for this:

1. In the liver, the synthesis of the protein albumin, which normally retains water in the blood, decreases.
2. The outflow of blood through the portal vein from the liver is blocked, so the liquid part leaves the vessels.

10. Veins on the skin of the abdomen

Doctors call this symptom "jellyfish head". It appears because a liver tumor interferes with the Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) / Medscape movement of venous blood, so that it flows through the vessels located under the skin of the abdomen. This causes them to expand and the plexuses become visible.

11. Hormonal abnormalities

Liver tumors often produce hormones that affect the rest of the body and the metabolism of various substances. This can lead Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer / American Cancer Society to the following violations:

• Elevated blood calcium levels. The condition is accompanied by nausea, confusion, constipation, muscle weakness.
• Low glucose. Leads to increased fatigue and fainting.
• Breast augmentation (gynecomastia) and testicular shrinkage in men.
• An increase in the level of red blood cells in the blood, which can make a person look red.
• High cholesterol.

12. Enlargement of the spleen

Because of impaired blood flow to the liver and high red blood cell counts, some people may have an enlarged spleen. It presses on nearby organs, such as the stomach, and disrupts digestion.

What to do if you have symptoms of liver cancer

These symptoms do not always indicate cancer. But in any case, you need to appear Liver cancer - hepatocellular carcinoma / U. S. National Library of Medicine to a therapist. He will schedule an examination. This can be an abdominal ultrasound, a biochemical blood test, and if cancer is suspected, a liver biopsy. Only then will the doctor recommend treatment. This is usually an operation to remove part of the liver. Sometimes radiation therapy or even an organ transplant is needed.