Liver cancer symptoms

Liver cancer symptoms and Signs of liver cancer

People with adult primary liver cancer may experience the following symptoms. Sometimes, people with adult primary liver cancer do not show any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be caused by a medical condition that is not cancer. Symptoms of adult primary liver cancer often do not appear in the early stages of the disease. If you are concerned about a symptom on this list, please talk with your doctor.

• Pain, especially at the top right of the abdominal area, which may also be felt close to the right shoulder, near the right shoulder blade, or in the back


• Weight loss


• A hard lump under the ribs on the right side of the body, indicating that the liver has increased in size


• Weakness or fatigue

Increasingly, liver cancer is being detected before any symptoms develop by screening people who are at high risk for developing liver cancer, such as those who have cirrhosis, or those who are carriers of the hepatitis B or C virus.

At the time of diagnosis of liver cancer, some people will already know that they have cirrhosis and will already be under the care of a doctor. People who already have cirrhosis may experience different liver cancer symptoms than someone without cirrhosis, including abdominal swelling due to ascites (fluid accumulation), or the individual may find that he or she needs increasing amounts of diuretics (water tablets) to control the abdominal fluid accumulation. Hepatic encephalopathy (mental confusion) and bleeding from the esophagus or stomach, or any worsening of the condition, may also indicate cancer.