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Liver Cancer Symptoms: First Signs, Liver Tumor & HCC Symptoms Explained

Silent disease debunked

Doctors often call liver cancer a silent disease because when it starts, the liver cancer symptoms remain unnoticed and only become severe or noticeable at later stages. Knowing what the first sign of liver cancer looks like and catching it in the early stages can genuinely make a life-saving difference. In this guide, we will walk through everything that you need to know about liver tumor symptoms. Furthermore, it includes the specific signs and symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hence, at the end, you will have a clear picture of what to look for and when to see a doctor if you face liver cancer symptoms.

Why do we often miss Liver cancer symptoms?

First and foremost, it becomes important to understand why liver cancer symptoms go unnoticed. The answer is that the liver is a large, resilient organ. This keeps on functioning even when a part of it gets damaged. Hence, the body keeps working normally, and no distress signal shows in the early stages, and the liver cancer symptoms go unnoticed. Furthermore, many of the early symptoms get mixed up with the most common conditions. Moreover, some of the examples of such conditions quoted are indigestion, fatigue, or irritable bowel syndrome. Therefore, people often dismiss these warning signs or attribute them to something that we don't usually consider dangerous. Unfortunately, THIS gives time to the cancer to grow and enter later stages.

This is why awareness matters so much. Saying that the more familiar you are with the liver cancer symptoms, the better your chances of catching this early become.

What is the first sign of liver cancer?

So what is the first sign of liver cancer? The answer actually varies from person to person. However, we have collected a list of some of the common early warning signs that account for liver cancer symptoms.

Unexplained weight loss

This is the first sign and symptom among the liver cancer symptoms that happens to the person bearing liver cancer, and people notice it. If a person is losing weight without trying, without a change in diet or exercise routine, then you need to take it seriously.

Loss of appetite

Weight loss that we mentioned above occurs due to loss of appetite. Research shows that many people with liver cancer report feeling full very quickly after eating. Moreover, even a small meal makes them feel full. The reason behind this weight loss and loss of appetite is the growth of the tumor region that presses against the stomach. Hence, it reduces the stomach's capacity to store food. Moreover, this symptom, among the liver cancer symptoms, is less obvious than others.

Fatigue and weakness

The stomach issue and the abnormal working of the liver can cause fatigue and weakness. But this sign is too vivid to notice, as tiredness in general is so common in daily life to brush off. Hence, a person should investigate the tiredness even after rest.

A dull ache or discomfort in the upper right abdomen

It serves as another early indicator. This symptom among the liver cancer symptoms is obvious. The liver sits beneath the right side of your rib cage. The abnormal tumor growth presses against the chest cavity and causes pain or a dull ache in that region.

Mild Jaundice

A person whose liver has cancer shows signs of jaundice. Liver, in case of liver cancer, struggles to produce the bilirubin properly. Hence, this causes the slight yellowing of the skin or the white of the eyes. People diagnosed with unexpected jaundice must go through a medical checkup, as it can be the first sign of liver cancer.

Liver tumors symptoms: what happens as the disease progresses

As the tumor grows, the liver tumor symptoms become more obvious and noticeable. Hence, at some stage, they become hard to ignore. Therefore, after reaching a stage, the body comes under significant stress, and the liver’s ability to function properly begins to decline. We have made a list of the most prominent liver tumor symptoms as the disease progresses.

Abdominal swelling and bloating

The fluids get filled in the abdomen, a condition that we call ascites. The ascites is caused by the pressure from the tumor or the blockage of the lymphatic system, or may cause an irritation in the abdominal cavity, leading to fluid production. This causes visible distension and significant discomfort. This sign may look like an issue with the lymphatic system. However, this may be one of the liver cancer symptoms.

Nausea and Vomiting

Due to the tumor, digestive functions are affected, leading to persistent nausea and vomiting. Patients facing unexplained nausea and vomiting must go through a medical checkup for liver cancer, as it may be one of the sign of liver cancer symptoms.

Deepening Jaundice

The yellowing of the skin becomes very obvious, and the urine turns dark brown or yellow colored.

Pale or chalky stools

The abnormal production of bile from the liver in liver cancer leads to disrupted digestion, resulting in this condition.

Fever

Some of the patients have noticed a low-grade fever that comes and goes. Hence, this fever comes and goes without any obvious cause, but it happens because of the liver cancer.

Back pain

When the liver tumor grows in size, it pushes everything in the chest cavity. This puts pressure on the back of the cancer patient or on the back of the shoulders.

Enlarged liver

Doctors can also notice by physical examination that the liver has grown larger. These symptoms can be mixed with other conditions as well, hence proper diagnosis becomes handy to pinpoint the cause.

Cirrhosis and its link to cancer

Cirrhosis is a condition of scarring of the liver. It is a condition in which the liver gets damaged, and the symptoms are similar, such as fatigue, jaundice, and yellowing of the skin. These hepatocellular carcinoma symptoms overlap, as the HCC does the same, which is why doctors have a hard time knowing whether it is a cancer or cirrhosis. Nevertheless, cirrohosis coins as the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma as the damaged liver is more likely to develop cancer.

Some specific signs of HCC

However, some signs are directly associated with the HCC, that includes

Sudden worsening of existing liver disease

If a person carrying liver disease suddenly feels a worsening of the symptoms, then they should investigate the HCC immediately. Studies often link these signs to hepatocellular carcinoma symptoms.

A palpable mass in the abdomen

If the patient feels a hard lump in the abdomen just below the right ribcage, then it is probably HCC. Studies indicate that in this condition, the tumor has grown large enough to be physically detected. Although a thorough examination from a medical expert is advised.

Portal hypertension

HCC can increase the pressure in the portal vein, which leads to swollen veins. These veins can bleed dangerously, and these symptoms may link back to the HCC.

Paraneoplastic syndromes

In rare cases, the abnormal cells start producing uncontrolled hormones or hormone-like substances that affect the blood sugar or calcium levels. This indicates that liver cancer is hard to diagnose, but you should never neglect any signs of it. This condition is called paraneoplastic syndrome and is often linked with the symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).