Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer occurs when the cancerous cells start growing near the liver and affect its functioning gradually. This cancer is silent cancer, which does not show any sign till it has progressed to later stages. Hence, the prognosis for liver disease is very bad and there is no hope for it improving in the future.
Liver cancer has a lot of symptoms but the problem with these symptoms is that they are also associated with other liver-related diseases. Therefore, the patients tend to ignore them for a long time before a red flag is raised. Following are a few common symptoms seen in the liver cancer patients.
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Unexplained weight loss
A person suffering from liver cancer loses weight dramatically. This is more because complications inside the liver lead to loss of appetite resulting in the poor health of the patient.
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Loss of appetite
Liver cancer gives a constant feeling of being full. Even one bite of food can make the patient feel like they have eaten too much and might not be able to keep everything inside.
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Nausea and vomiting
Liver cancer causes extreme nausea and vomiting. It creates an aversion to food and the patient starves while having a feeling of overeating.
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Enlarged liver and spleen
The size of the spleen and liver increase and cause a lot of pain and discomfort.
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Swelling of feet and belly
Liver cancer leaves the liver unable to process its basic functions, which further complicates other bodily functions leading to swelling in feet and belly.
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Yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice)
Abnormal functioning of the liver causes an abnormal release of bilirubin, which is the cause behind the yellow color of the skin and the eyes.
All the signs and symptoms of liver cancer are related to one another. Due to the cancer cells affecting the liver, the liver fails to function properly and then one problem leads to another leaving the patient hapless with no respite.
Is liver cancer curable?
Most doctors will tell you that treating a liver cancer is very difficult at the later stages and unfortunately that is when it is detected in most of the cases. Most of the patients with liver cancer do not realize something is wrong with them till they have reached stage three or four, which is extremely late in the disease and has almost no chances of curing.
With liver cancer, doctors are left with just a few options to choose from based on how much cancer has spread and the general health of the liver. Some of the treatment options for liver cancer are as follows:
- Surgery
- Liver transplant
- Ablation therapy
- Embolization
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
Liver cancer is dangerous and it is better if it is diagnosed early. The signs and symptoms of liver cancer are confusing but people should take them seriously and get it checked, when necessary.
