Contents
About half a million people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year. Often they do not expect disease until it takes an advanced form. We fight strange stinging in the side, chronic flatulence or epigastric pain with over-the-counter medications and wait for it to pass. We rarely take seriously the signals sent by the body, which we manage to block quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, these may be symptoms of the early stage of cancer development, and the lack of interest in our health takes away our precious time.
We very rarely think about our liver until it becomes seriously annoying. When the first symptoms of the disease appear, we use specific drugs for the liver and painkillers without hesitation. Only when the ailments become unbearable, we direct our steps to the doctor’s office. This is a serious mistake because time is of the essence when it comes to the development of any cancer. A favorable prognosis in the case of neoplastic disease depends primarily on the stage of the disease. Liver cancer may develop silently or with non-specific symptoms for a long time.
- Check your health. Just answer these questions
Further part below the video.
Liver cancer. How is the liver built?
The liver is located on the right side of the epigastrium, under the right costal arch just above the diaphragm. It is a large organ that performs important functions. It has a lot of blood supply and as a result of irritation it can suspend its size. The liver is made up of cells forming lobules, which in turn form segments and lobes of the liver. The bile ducts connect with the organ, as the liver supplies bile to the digestive system.
The liver is constantly exposed
This organ is constantly exposed to harmful factors. The liver has to endure the effects of alcohol abuse, poor diet and, finally, to deal with the medications that are taken, which very often have an extremely negative impact on it. Although it has the ability to regenerate tissues, liver cells can be replaced by connective tissue in the event of severe or long-term damage, causing cirrhosis. These changes are irreversible and one of the common causes of liver cancer development.
Buy a liver pack. It is worth doing these preventive examinations, at least once a year.
The causes of liver cancer
The most common cause of primary liver cancer is the process liver inflammation or cirrhosis. Another risk factor for getting sick jest previous infection with hepatitis B or C and alcoholic cirrhosiscaused by excessive alcohol consumption.
It can lead to post-inflammatory cirrhosis non-alcoholic fatty liver disease caused diabetes, impaired lipid metabolism or a condition caused by certain medications, and poisoning with toxins.
Liver cancer can also be induced autoimmune disease or genetic factors.
Liver cancer symptoms
If you have one or more of the following symptoms, it is not liver cancer. In fact, many of these symptoms can also be caused by other medical conditions. However, if you observe such signs in yourself, do not underestimate them, see your doctor in order to diagnose the source of the ailment. The signs of developing liver cancer often don’t appear until the later stages of the disease, and can be confusing and unusual in the early stages of the disease. Time matters, and early detection of cancer greatly increases the chances of a cure.
The most common symptoms of liver cancer are:
- weight loss (no weight loss, no lifestyle changes),
- loss of appetite
- a feeling of fullness and overeating even after consuming a modest portion of food,
- repeated nausea or vomiting,
- an enlarged liver, a feeling of fullness or swelling under the ribs on the right side of the body
- enlarged spleen, palpable under the ribs on the left side,
- persistent abdominal pain or pain in the area of the right shoulder blade,
- swelling or fluid collection in the abdomen
- itchy skin
- yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice),
- palpable tumor on the liver, under the right costal arch.
Other unusual symptoms of liver cancer can include a fever, enlarged veins in your belly visible through the skin, and bruising for no reason.
People with chronic inflammation or cirrhosis of the liver may feel worse. There is also deterioration in liver function tests or alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels.
Certain types of liver cancer produce hormones that act on organs other than the liver. These hormones can cause:
- Increase in blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia). Hypercalcaemia can cause nausea, confusion, constipation, weakness, or muscle problems.
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). May cause fatigue or fainting.
- Breast enlargement (gynecomastia) and / or contraction of the testicles in men.
- Increase in the number of red blood cells (erythrocytosis) in a laboratory study. Which can cause redness on the skin.
- High cholesterol.
We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we were wondering why switching our thinking and acting to slow life is a real challenge? Why is listening to your needs so important? What will it do for us? You will hear about it below.