Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer symptoms are not easily recognizable. Initially, the patient might only notice unusual tiredness, loss of appetite, or nausea. A sliver tumor grows larger it can cause jaundice due to overworked liver cells trying to work overtime to help filter toxins from the body. Other symptoms include abdominal pain and weight loss.
Although many patients with liver cancers do not show any symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly, there are some warning signs that it is necessary to pay attention to:
– Nausea or vomiting for no apparent reason;
– Loss of appetite;
– Increased fatigue – without physical exertion;
– Dark urine color;
– Pale stools color;
– Abdominal pain or swelling of the abdominal area;
– Weight loss and decreased body mass index (BMI);
– Itching of palms and soles;
– Jaundice (yellowing of the skin).
what is the first sign of liver cancer:
The first sign of liver cancer is usually an enlarged liver or swelling in the abdomen. Other possible signs and symptoms include:
Loss of weight Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Pain in the upper right abdominal area Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) Itching Swelling or pain in the legs Dark urine Guttate psoriasis High blood pressure Low-grade fever Enlarged lymph nodes in other parts of the body Enlarged spleen Anemia A decrease in clotting factors within the normal blood clotting range Hematemesis – vomiting blood Unexplained bleeding from any part of your body Vomiting blood, stools that contain blood or look like coffee grounds (melena) An enlarged or swollen abdomen (hepatomegaly) Enlarged veins in the lower part of your esophagus, near the stomach (splenomegaly).
what causes liver cancer:
Experts believe that a range of factors can lead to liver cancer. Excessive exposure to toxins may play a role in some cases, but it’s not possible to attribute most cases of liver cancer to any one cause.
what is the treatment for liver cancer:
In most people with early-stage liver cancer, no specific types of treatments are needed at all. Some people have surgery or chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy if their tumors are large or keep growing after initial diagnosis. For advanced cancers, the three main approaches doctors use include Surgery Chemotherapy Radiation therapy A vaccine against hepatitis B helps prevent some types of this disease in patients with chronic hepatitis infection – viral damage in your liver cells which could result in liver cancer.
The vaccine works stopping the spread of the hepatitis B virus. Patients may also receive drugs to control the side effects of treatment, which may include anemia or infection.
Warnings:
You should avoid alcohol while you recover from a liver transplant because it might make your body reject the new organ. Alcohol can interfere with medications you’ll take after surgery and harm your new liver cells.
In some cases, people who have had a liver transplant will need medicines to prevent their bodies from rejecting this new organ for the rest of their lives. You should try to eat a healthy diet that includes small amounts of protein and carbohydrates every day. This will help your body heal after surgery and stay strong in case another illness occurs later on.
What are the signs & symptoms:
– lead to other problems such as nausea, loss of appetite, itching, bleeding from the rectum, or blood in your urine. The later-stage liver cancers cause fatigue which is constant throughout day and night. There might also be less common signs and symptoms such as swelling in your legs, fluid build-up around your lungs, weight gain without a known reason, high blood pressure that is difficult to control, and mental changes such as confusion or memory loss.
The liver cancer may spread from where it started into nearby organs such as the lungs. Liver cancer that spreads to other parts of the body is often hard to treat. Most deaths from this disease are caused by a lack of treatment options at this stage.
The first sign of liver cancer :
The first sign is usually an enlarged liver or swelling in your abdomen (belly). Other possible signs include: Loss of weight Loss of appetite Nausea and vomiting Pain in the upper right abdominal area Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) Itching Swelling or pain in your legs Dark urine Guttate psoriasis High blood pressure Low-grade fever
The symptoms of liver cancer depend on where it begins in the body. If the tumor originates in the liver, symptoms may include: – sudden loss of appetite – nausea or vomiting – abdominal pain – itching or bleeding from your rectum If the tumor is present in the bile ducts, symptoms may include: Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes) A feeling of fullness An enlarged abdomen Pain around your navel Diarrhea A lump in your abdomen Fever Itching
What are risk factors for liver cancer:
The following can increase your chances of developing liver cancer, but most people with these factors never get this disease. Your risk is higher if you have more than one risk factor:-
Heavy alcohol use Exposure to aflatoxin B1 Long-term hepatitis infection, either from a virus or a condition such as autoimmune hepatitis Cirrhosis due to other conditions Other types of liver disease Age older than 50 years old A history of polycystic kidney disease Kidney transplant
The main risk factor for developing liver cancer is a chronic inflammation of the liver caused by infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C viruses. There is no way to prevent this type of liver inflammation. As you’ll see below, being vaccinated against hepatitis A and having healthy habits can help protect your liver from further damage.
stages of liver cancer:-
Common staging systems for liver cancer include: – Milan criteria (for tumors of the liver and bile ducts) – Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) score
By definition, all types of cancer spread from their original site to other parts of the body. This process is called metastasis. When liver cancer spreads to distant organs such as the lungs or bones, it’s much harder to treat successfully than if it remains in the liver.
The lymph nodes, which are part of your immune system, may also be affected by metastatic cancer cells that have spread through your bloodstream to these nodes. If you’re diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer, your doctor will need to explain what this means and outline treatment options available.