Watch out for signs of liver cancer

Liver cancer is the second most common cancer in the world after lung cancer, the most common symptom is weight loss and fatigue accompanied by severe pain.

Health Sina experts advise people to pay more attention to the following common symptoms of liver cancer:

Gastrointestinal symptoms

Usually anorexia, bloating after a meal, even nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

Fever

Fever due to liver cancer is common at about 37.5 to 38 ℃, sometimes up to 39 ℃, abnormally hot, sometimes accompanied by chills. Patients often have fever in the afternoon, caused by necrotic tumors or tumor metabolites.

Location of the liver in the human body. (Photo: Womenshealth).

Pain

Pain is a common symptom of liver cancer. Usually the pain under the right rib, has a persistent or tingling dullness. Some patients experience pain in the upper abdomen, in the left lobe of the liver, sometimes misdiagnosed as stomach pain, leading to delayed treatment. Some patients have pain in the right shoulder, often on the right lobe of the tumor, near the diaphragm, causing the diaphragm to be affected by the shoulder-to-shoulder pain, easily misdiagnosed as shoulder pain.

When the cancer spreads to other parts, it will lead to the pain there, such as metastasis to the lungs will cause chest pain, metastasis to the bone will hurt bone. So if you have chest pain or bone pain, consider the possibility of metastatic liver cancer.

Some people experience severe pain in the liver area, mainly caused by tumors on the surface of the liver that is hemorrhaging. If the patient is accompanied by lightheadedness, dizziness, heart palpitations, hypotension, it is a sign of severe bleeding, prompt emergency treatment.

Lose weight, tired

This symptom appears in the middle and late stages of the disease. The tumor metabolite is the culprit that causes biochemical changes in the body, causing anorexia of the patient, depletion.

Jaundice

Jaundice is a clinical manifestation of liver function impairment. Impaired liver function causes bilirubin accumulation in the body. Jaundice is one of the first signs of liver cancer.

Jaundice is a clinical manifestation of liver function impairment.

Bruising or bleeding

When liver function is impaired, it is difficult to produce the necessary proteins to help blood clotting. This results in more or more bruising or bleeding throughout the body.

Poor digestion and dark urine

Dark urine and loose stools are also signs of bilirubin accumulation due to reduced liver function.

Other symptoms

Hepatitis, cirrhosis or liver cancer will cause loss of liver function, haemorrhage such as nosebleeds, bleeding of the gums and bruising under the skin. Hypoproteinemia can also cause edema, ascites, bloating.

Risk of liver cancer

1. Hepatitis A, B or C infection: damage to liver cells, leading to liver function and cirrhosis.
2. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) : Liver fat accumulation is common in overweight or obese people.
3. Cirrhosis : due to a number of factors including alcoholism, hepatitis, NAFLD.
4. Hemochromatosis : Excess iron in the body, leading to damage in many organs, especially the liver and spleen.
5. Obesity : Fat accumulation in the liver weakens liver function. It leads to NAFLD, eventually cirrhosis, even liver cancer.

If you are experiencing any of these signs or symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.