Read article Symptoms of liver cancer
This page is about the symptoms of liver cancer. There are sections about
Symptoms of liver cancer
The symptoms of primary liver cancer can include
- Significant loss of weight that cannot be explained
- Loss of appetite over a period of a few weeks
- Being sick
- Feeling full or bloated after eating, even after a small meal
- Pain or discomfort in the tummy (abdomen)
- A swollen tummy (abdomen)
- Yellowish skin (jaundice), dark coloured urine and pale coloured faeces
- Itching
- A sudden worsening of health in somebody with known chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis
- A high temperature and sweating
Many of these symptoms are vague. All can be caused by other conditions such as infection. But if you have any of these symptoms you should see your doctor.
You can view and print the quick guides for all the pages in the About liver cancer section.
Doctors usually define significant weight loss as more than 10% of your body weight - a stone for every 10 stone you weigh. Obviously losing weight doesn't mean you are ill if you are dieting or there is some other reason. But if there is no obvious explanation for your weight loss, you should see your doctor.
Swelling of the abdomen can happen in liver cancer for 2 reasons. The liver itself can get bigger from the growing cancer. This can cause swelling over the right side of your abdomen. Or you can have generalized swelling of the abdomen caused by a build up of fluid. This is called ascites.
The fluid builds up because the liver is congested. This squeezes the blood vessels inside the liver and the blood that normally flows through it gets backed up in the veins. The pressure in these veins increases and forces fluid to leak from the veins into the abdomen. The veins may grow in size so much that they can be seen underneath the surface of the skin. If the liver is not able to make blood proteins as it should, fluid also tends to leak out of the veins and into the abdominal cavity.
Primary liver cancer develops from the cells that make up the liver. Liver cancer can grow and spread outside the liver. It may grow into the bile duct. If this happens, bile cannot drain away from the liver and causes the bile's yellow pigment to be excreted through the kidneys. This makes the urine dark and the faeces pale. The build up of the bile in the bloodstream causes jaundice. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and/or whites of the eyes.
Many of these symptoms are vague. All can be caused by other conditions such as infection. But if you have any of these symptoms you should see your doctor.
Other symptoms you may have include
- Loss of appetite over a period of a few weeks
- Being sick
- Feeling full or bloated after eating, even after a small meal
- Pain or discomfort in the tummy (abdomen)
- Itching
- A sudden worsening of health in somebody with known chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis
- A high temperature and sweating
The earlier a cancer is picked up, the easier it is to treat it and the more likely the treatment is to be successful. So it is important that you go to your GP as soon as possible if you notice worrying symptoms.
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