Symptons Of Primary Liver Cancer
In the early stages of primary liver cancer there are often no symptoms.
People sometimes notice a vague discomfort in the upper abdomen that may become painful. This is due to enlargement of the liver. Pain can sometimes also be felt in the right shoulder. This is known as referred pain and is due to an enlarged liver stimulating the nerves beneath the diaphragm (the sheet of muscle under the lungs) which are connected to nerves in the right shoulder.
Loss of appetite, weight loss, feeling sick (nausea), and weakness and tiredness (lethargy) are common symptoms. Some people may also develop a high temperature and feel shivery.
Jaundice If the bile duct becomes blocked, bile produced by the liver will flow back into the bloodstream, causing jaundice. This will cause the skin and whites of the eyes to go yellow and may make the skin very itchy. The itching may sometimes be relieved by antihistamine tablets or other drugs, which your doctor can prescribe. Sometimes the jaundice itself can be relieved. This is done by inserting a narrow tube called a stent into the bile duct to keep it open and to allow the bile to flow normally into the small intestine.
Other signs of jaundice are dark-coloured urine and pale stools (bowel motions).
Ascites Sometimes fluid builds up in the abdomen and causes swelling known as ascites. There may be several possible reasons for this:
if cancer cells have spread to the lining of the abdomen, they can irritate it and cause fluid to build up
if the liver itself is affected by cancer cells, this causes an increase in pressure in the veins that lead into the liver. Fluid from the abdomen cannot then pass quickly enough through the liver, so it starts to collect in the abdomen
if the liver is damaged, it may produce less blood protein. This may upset the body’s fluid balance, which causes fluid to build up in the body tissues, including the abdomen
cancer cells blocking the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is a network of fine channels which runs throughout the body. One of its functions is to drain off excess fluid, which is eventually passed out of the body in the urine. If some of these channels are blocked, the system cannot drain efficiently and fluid may build up.
If ascites does develop, a tube can be put through the wall of the abdomen to drain the fluid away.
Symptons Of Primary Liver Cancer
