The liver is an organ located in the upper right abdominal region, below the diaphragm, a region also called the right hypochondrium. It has several functions, such as storing nutrients from food, supporting digestion or eliminating toxins from the body.
Symptoms may not be detected until advanced stages, but sometimes they may appear earlier. Detection of the first signs and prompt appointment to the doctor support early diagnosis and increase the effectiveness of treatment and the chances of being cured. Some of the symptoms that may be related to liver cancer include:
- unexplained weight loss
- loss of appetite
- feeling of fullness in the stomach, after a light meal
- nausea or vomiting
- liver enlarged in volume, feeling like a mass under the ribs, on the right side
- enlarged spleen, felt below the ribs, on the left side
- abdominal pain
- swelling of the abdomen or accumulation of fluids in the abdomen
- pruritus
- yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
Other symptoms may include prominent veins on the abdomen (visible through the skin), fever and abnormal bleeding/ bruising. Some liver tumors produce hormones that act on other organs. These hormones can cause:
- high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia)
- high cholesterol levels
- low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
- breast augmentation (gynecomastia) or testicular contraction
- high level of red blood cells (erythrocytosis).
Be sure to get informed about the y90 procedure and different types of treatments to effectively treat liver cancer.
