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A quick feeling of fullness, weight loss or recurring abdominal pain can all be signs of a serious illness. Although liver cancer is quite rare, the incidence of liver cancer is still increasing. If you are at high risk, you should have regular check-ups. Also, don’t underestimate the unusual signals your body sends you.
Liver cancer
Liver cancer is a fairly rare type of cancer, but research has shown that its incidence has doubled since 1990. Liver cancer symptoms don’t usually appear until the cancer is advanced, so regular screening is key to finding it early. Such a package of tests is performed in the case of people with an increased risk of developing the disease.
According to the American Cancer Society, risk factors include:
- cirrhosis of the liver (scarring due to liver damage),
- hepatitis B,
- hepatitis C,
- hereditary hemochromatosis,
- alcohol consumption.
Symptoms of liver cancer can take many forms and very often relate to changes or ailments within the digestive system. However, oncologists agree: they would prefer not to see a symptom-based diagnosis at all, which in the case of liver cancer is a seriously advanced disease.
Regular screening of high-risk groups allows for quick intervention and a good prognosis. Blood tests and an ultrasound scan are the most common.
What is the condition of your liver? It is worth doing preventive examinations, at least once a year. The Liver Pack is available from Medonet Market.
Liver cancer symptoms
There are four signs of liver cancer that are easy to ignore and four risk factors for developing liver cancer.
Unusual stomach pain and swelling
Most people with liver cancer feel it pain where this organ is located, that is, in the upper right corner of the abdomen. You can also observe very often edema in this area. Pain may not be revealed until the oppression in a physical examination. Doctors often observe such a reaction in apparently asymptomatic patients. Pain in this area does not always mean cancer, but it requires further diagnosis. It can be caused hepatitis, problems with the gallbladder or pancreas.
The rest of the text is below the video.
Sudden weight loss
Weight loss and loss of appetite is a common symptom that affects people who develop multiple diseases or who are struggling with cancer. If you are losing weight without changing your lifestyle, always consult your doctor. This is a symptom that is most easily underestimated by patients.
A feeling of satiety that occurs quickly during a meal
Cancer almost always makes you lose your appetite, but there is another mechanism for this problem in liver cancer. The fluid in the abdomen can cause pressure and consequently feeling that the stomach is full despite consuming modest portions.
Other symptoms that may arise include indigestion problems, belching and nausea. These ailments are common and concern many diseases or disorders, but if the problem is not incidental and persists, it is time to conduct preventive examinations.
Jaundice
The most common symptom we can expect from a diseased liver is jaundice. that is, yellowing of the skin and eyes. You may also feel itchy.
Jaundice can also be a symptom of other cancers, including pancreatic cancer and gallbladder cancer. Viral infections (hepatitis A), severe food poisoning, alcohol abuse and other disorders can cause similar symptoms.. However, each time this condition requires medical intervention and may indicate liver damage.
Liver cancer risk factors
Certain features, a history of illnesses or lifestyle may increase the risk of developing liver cancer. The most common are:
Hepatitis C
People who have had hepatitis C may develop liver cancer approximately 10 years after the episode. At first, the disease may be practically asymptomatic, and its chronic development may even lead to cirrhosis of the liver. Hepatitis C cannot be cured, but with appropriate therapy, it is possible to reduce the multiplication of the virus and effectively minimize the risk of developing cancer. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
Hepatitis B (or no vaccination for hepatitis B)
Hepatitis B can also cause cancer. At the moment, vaccination against hepatitis B is part of the obligatory vaccination calendar for children, it is also required before planned surgical procedures. Remember about booster doses. Any viral hepatitis can increase the risk of cancer of this organ and should be an indication for prophylactic examinations towards early diagnosis of cancer.
Obesity or Type II Diabetes
A relatively new factor in liver cancer is nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This is a civilization problem that affects more and more people. The increase in the incidence of liver cancer associated with obesity and diabetes largely contributes to the increase in the number of diagnosed cases of liver cancer. Being overweight or obese alone is not the only cause of disease, however, the more of these factors apply to a patient, the greater the risk of falling ill.
Alcohol abuse
Regular, heavy alcohol consumption can irretrievably damage liver cells, which are replaced with scar tissue. This condition is known as cirrhosis. It can lead to liver cancer. Remember to do regular checkups, even if you’ve managed to recover from addiction.
At the same time, we encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we were talking about breathing. Breathe with your mouth or nose? How To Get Rid Of Bad Breathing Habits? What is breath re-reduction and how does it affect our mental and physical health? You will hear about this and many other aspects of breathing below.
Also read:
- The liver does not hurt. How do you know if you are sick? You will notice the signs on your hands
- Fatty liver – a disease not only drinkers
- Liver profile – when to test the liver and what tests should be performed?
- What’s on our liver?