Early Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is a deadly disease that’s estimated to result in the death of 27,000 American every year. The disease originates in liver tissues when damaged cells start to replicate too quickly. This results in malignant tumors that will eventually spread to other areas of the body, if untreated. Search online and read on to learn more about this disease.

According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 29,890 men and 12,340 women will be diagnosed with liver cancer in 2021. The key to successfully treating liver cancer is to catch the disease as early as possible. In this article, we’ll outline the early signs and symptoms to look out for.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms of liver cancer vary from case to case, though often include:

• Jaundice (yellow-tinted skin)
• Pain in the middle-right of the abdomen
• Enlarged liver (which you may be able to feel on your torso)
• Rapid, unplanned weight loss
• Reduced appetite
• Vomiting
• Nausea

Many of these symptoms do not occur until the cancer has advanced. For this reason, it is essential to get checked out as soon as any worrying symptoms occur.

Causes and Risk Factors

Liver cancer is far more likely to occur in men than it is in women. Overall risk of developing the disease increases with age, which means older adult men are most at risk.

The main liver cancer risk factors are:

• Smoking
• Overconsumption of alcohol
• Obesity
• Long-term infection with Hepatitis B or C
• Cirrhosis (liver scarring)
• Diabetes
• Exposure to fungus called aflatoxins

In addition, certain genetic diseases which affect the liver can increase a person’s risk of getting cancer. For instance, Wilson’s disease and hemochromatosis.

How Liver Cancer Is Diagnosed

Your doctor will determine whether liver cancer is likely by taking a medical history and conducting a physical exam. Further tests will be ordered if they observe abdominal swelling, jaundice or if any of your symptoms suggest the presence of cancer.

The following are tests used to diagnose liver cancer:

• Blood tests (to check for impaired liver function)
• Imaging tests (ultrasound, MRI or CT)
• Angiography (to check whether blood flow to the liver is normal)
• Biopsy (if growths are found, to find out if they are cancerous)

If liver cancer is confirmed, your doctor will then seek to find out if the cancer has spread to other organs. Then, they will stage the cancer and be able to discuss appropriate treatment options.

Treatment Options

There are a wide variety of liver cancer treatments that can be used in isolation or as part of a treatment plan. Even if the cancer cannot be removed, these treatments can improve the quality of the patient’s life and extend their lifespan considerably.

The main liver cancer treatment options are:

• Surgery (to remove part of the liver, or just the tumor)
• Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Liver transplant

Schedule an appointment to speak to your doctor right away if you are suffering from one or more of the symptoms outlined above. Keep in mind that all these symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, and could be an indicator of another, less harmful health problem. Nonetheless, it’s still important to get checked out at the earliest opportunity.

Call an ambulance immediately if you experience extreme abdominal pain, vomiting and severe jaundice, as these symptoms may indicate liver failure.