LIVER cancer has a number of symptoms, some of which can be masked as indigestion or a feeling of being full.
Some 6,100 number of people are diagnosed with the killer disease in the UK every year, with incidence increasing with age.
Liver cancer is the 18th most common cancer in the UK, making it relatively rarer, with more men more affected than women.
Nine in ten cases are seen in people over the age of 55, making age a leading risk factor.
Sadly only 13 per cent of patients survive liver cancer for at least five years, with mortality rates getting worse in the past three decades.
And almost half of cases are preventable – the leading causes of liver cancer are obesity (23 per cent), smoking (20 per cent), and drinking alcohol (seven per cent).
Read on to find out what to look out for, as an early diagnosis gives a much higher chance of successful treatment.
RIB SYMPTOMS
Pain or a feeling of fullness under the ribs could in fact be a sign of the killer disease, the American Cancer Society says.
The sensation could be either on the right side, caused by an enlarged liver, or the left side, caused by an enlarged spleen in response to the liver cancer.
The liver, the largest organ in the body, lies under the lower part of the rib cage on the right hand side. It can stretch across as far as the left nipple.
Usually, the pain is dull and vague pain. Though it can sometimes be quite severe and may cause a backache.
16 OTHER SYMPTOMS
Guts UK says that liver cancer “can cause discomfort or pain in the upper part of the abdomen”. Experts also list shoulder pain.
“Some patients may feel sick or can be generally unwell”, while “others lose their appetite”.
Other symptoms that affect digestion, according to the NHS, are symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling full very quickly when eating, even after a small meal, and a swollen stomach that is not related to eating.
Outside of this, liver cancer can jaundice, which is when the whites of the eyes and skin turn a yellowy shade. Itchy skin is another sign.
Urine may be darker than usual, and stool paler.
A lump in the right side of the tummy, feeling tired or low on energy and weight loss are other key warning signs.
The American Cancer Society says other symptoms can include fever, enlarged veins on the belly that can be seen through the skin, and abnormal bruising or bleeding.
Cancer in the liver may not cause any symptoms and can be picked up incidentally, charities say.
It might have been discovered if a blood test was taken, or if an abnormal area was looked at during a scan.
WHAT’S YOUR RISK?
Your risk of developing cancer depends on many things including age, genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors.
Some of the risk factors for liver cancer are:
- Age
- Liver cirrhosis – scarring due to previous damage such as from alcohol or an infection
- Smoking
- Being overweight
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Diabetes
- HIV or AIDS
There are two types of liver cancer – primary and secondary, which is when the cancer spreads to other organs.
Primary liver cancer is uncommon in the UK, but rates are increasing, Cancer Research UK says.
