Liver Cancer Symptoms

Also see Liver Cancer Symptoms

Recognizing a liver cancer symptom

Before talking about liver cancer symptoms, it's helpful to un understand that there are two very different types of liver cancer.

1. Hepatocellular cancer or carcinoma, also sometimes called hepatoma. This is the type of liver cancer that starts in the liver itself and grows there.
2. Metastatic liver cancer, or liver cancer that starts outside the liver, in another organ, and spreads to the liver.

Patients with the first type, hepatocellular carcinoma, often start to experience liver cancer symptoms after they've had hepatitis and cirrhosis for some time. But patients with no preceding liver problems can get this type of liver cancer too.

What is a typical sign of liver cancer?

Hepatocellular liver cancer symptoms are often vague and may mistakenly be attributed to other health problems, but anyone experiencing following should be tested:

• jaundice (yellow skin and eyes and mucus membranes)
• poor appetite
• right upper abdominal pain or discomfort
• weight loss

A sign of liver cancer may also be hard to diagnose because they're similar to gall bladder problems.

The second kind of liver cancer, metastatic liver cancer, most often starts in the breast, lung, stomach, or large intestine.  Leukemia and lymphoma may also involve the liver.

The first symptoms can include

• enlarged liver
• enlarged spleen, especially if the cancer originated in the pancreas
• fever
• poor appetite
• the liver becomes hard and may be tender and/or lumpy
• weight loss

In the beginning, the patient might have mild jaundice, but might not.

After liver cancer has been present for a while, the patient's abdominal cavity may become swollen with fluid, a condition which is called ascites.

In later stages of liver cancer, jaundice becomes progressively worse. Also, the person may become confused and drowsy due to toxins that begin to accumulate in the brain. This condition is known as liver encephalopathy.

Learn to Eat Right. Lose Weight. Get Healthier

Click on Defeating Bad Eating

Need more information about the liver? Use the convenient box below to search for related websites

Enter your search terms Submit search form

Learn About Your Liver

In-depth information about the diseases, conditions and illnesses that affect liver health.

Special half-price offer if you order through this website

$3.97

Click on Learn About Your Liver
to see a Table of Contents

To see dozens of additional medical products and books related to health, click on