10 Signs of Liver Cancer

Did you know that in your body, you have a three-pound powerhouse of an organ that cleans every milliliter of your blood and performs approximately 500 other functions for your well-being?  The liver, the largest internal organ, continuously filters the toxins from blood as well as grabbing nutrients and drugs from the GI tract to convert them into usable compounds, plus a multitude of other functions. But what happens when cancer damages the liver?

Symptoms of Liver Cancer

Because of the physiology of the liver and its placement in the body, detecting liver cancer early often is difficult. So the disease typically is caught at an advanced state. There is no recommended screening test, but those with a family history of liver cancer or other risk factors should talk to their physicians to work out a monitoring plan. Awareness of the symptoms of liver cancer is helpful for all who are concerned about this illness. Here are 10 signs of liver cancer:

  1. Significant and undetermined weight loss. Doctors define a “significant” weight loss as losing ten percent of one’s body weight. This weight loss has no apparent reason.
  2. Nausea and vomiting for no discernible reason.
  3. Decrease in appetite or feeling full after eating a small meal. This symptom may be due to a mass or swelling in the abdomen.
  4. General weakness and fatigue. Due to the disruption of glycogen (body energy) storage by the liver, chronic tiredness can be the result.
  5. A persistent fever. Because of the cancer affecting immunological functioning, you may not be able to fight off infections or illnesses easily.
  6. Pain in the upper abdomen on the right side of the body or by the right shoulder blade. This pain probably originates because the increased size of the liver places pressure on certain nerves. An enlarged liver stimulates nerves under the diaphragm, creating pain.
  1. Enlarged liver. Hepatomegaly, which is a mass under the ribs, on the right side.
  2. Enlarged spleen felt as a mass under the ribs, on the left side.
  3. Abdominal swelling. “Ascites” is a bloating of the abdomen due to a liquid buildup or when a mass forms inside of the abdomen. Swelling may occur if the bloating on the right side of the body occurs -- this is possibly due to the liver cancer growing larger.
  4. Jaundice. This condition occurs when the liver does not function properly and causes yellowing of the eyes and skin.
Other symptoms include itching, abnormal bleeding or bruising, and enlarged veins pushed to the surface of the abdomen, possibly showing very clearly. This again is due to the pressure and swelling of the liver against the abdomen.

These signs are similar to other benign liver infections or diseases. The main difference is that with liver cancer, the symptoms evolve and worsen over time as the disease progresses. When in doubt, see a doctor.

Other Ailments Associated with Liver Cancer

As a result of liver cancer, certain other ailments may arise, especially in the early stages of the cancer. These diseases are known as paraneoplastic symptoms for liver cancer. Individually they may indicate other illnesses. But if they are found in combination, they could indicate liver cancer. These illnesses are:

  • Hypercalcemia – an increase in blood calcium levels
  • Hypoglycemia – a decrease in blood sugar levels
  • Erythrocytosis – an increase in the red blood cell count
  • Hypercholesterolemia – an increase in cholesterol levels
  • Gynecomastia – enlargement of the breasts
  • Shrinking testicles in men
Men are twice as likely to get liver cancer as women. But in America, the percentage of people with liver cancer has risen over the past few decades. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 36,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2015. Deaths from this cancer will top 24,500 patients. In this country, liver cancer rates are highest for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Caucasians have the lowest risk.

Other Risk Factors

Other risk factors include cirrhosis of the liver, fatty liver, chronic infections of Hepatitis B (HBV) or C virus (HCV), smoking, obesity, heavy alcohol use, anabolic steroid use, arsenic poisoning, Aflatoxins, diabetes, and exposure to certain chemicals such as herbicides or vinyl chloride.

Metabolic syndrome can also lead to conditions that increase, by two times over, the chances for cirrhosis and liver disease. This syndrome is a group of risk factors such as high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels, abdominal fat and high blood pressure. Fortunately, these factors can often be controlled with lifestyle changes.

Cirrhosis of the liver is one of the most common symptoms of cancer. This disease occurs when healthy liver cells die off, leaving scar tissue in its place.  It has many causes, the most prevalent being HBV or HCV. Infections from these viruses lead to cirrhosis. Another cirrhosis-related ailment is known as NASH, a fatty liver disease observed in obese people with little to no alcohol abuse.

Aflatoxins are cancer-causing fungi, which contaminates rice, soybean, wheat and corn as a result of poor storage practices. Long-term exposure to these toxins increases the risk of liver cancer.


Primary and Secondary Liver Cancers

For all practical purposes, there are two types of liver cancer. The first, “primary” liver cancer is when the cancer originates in the liver itself. This is called Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and is the most common of the primary type of cancer but comprises only about 2 percent of all liver cancer cases. It should be noted that more than half of HCC cirrhosis sufferers have a scarring condition caused by alcohol abuse.

“Secondary” liver cancer is when the cancer has spread from another organ to the liver. Because the liver acts as a blood filter, it catches carcinogenic cells from other organs and ideally excretes them. But we all know any process is not perfect, and some cancer cells don’t leave the liver, possibly resulting in cancer. In America, secondary cancer is the most common form of liver cancer.

The liver does a multitude of tasks to regulate the body’s various functions. But there is no artificial organ or device that can replicate all the liver’s work. Because of that, one would be wise to live a healthy lifestyle and have regular check-ups. And don’t ignore those aches and other symptoms if they become chronic – see a physician right away because the sooner you catch and treat liver cancer, the better the outcome.