The liver is a major metabolic organ of the body with the functions of metabolism, detoxification, digestion, and immune support. It is a kind of organ that does not have sensitive nerves in the tissue caused by which, liver damages are rarely felt and most of the time they are only discovered in the late stages. Particularly liver cancer generally behaves silently and this results in the diagnosis of the disease at the early stage being very difficult and also vital.
Key Early Symptoms of Liver Cancer
1. Dull Pain in the Upper Abdomen
The pain that is usually dull and accompanied by a feeling of pressure under the right ribs or below the sternum is experienced by quite a few early liver cancer patients. It is caused not by the liver itself, but by tumor growth in the liver and stretching of the nerves in the liver capsule that results in the pain. The pain may come and go, or it may be there all the time, and is sometimes accompanied by pain in the right shoulder. People should not only ignore the pain unless it is very severe but it is also necessary to take it into account if it lasts for a long time and becomes more noticeable gradually.
2. Reduced Appetite and Digestion
Since the liver is an organ that is responsible for metabolism and digestion, when it gets damaged, symptoms such as loss of appetite, feeling of satiety after a small amount of food, bad digestion, and sometimes also nausea and vomiting will appear quite quickly. Individuals can lose weight rapidly and at the same time may develop very obvious malnutrition, which is frequently wrongly attributed to other digestive disorders.
3. Unusual Fatigue (Asthenia)
When the liver is not functioning properly, the body becomes deficient in nutrient intake and is exposed to poison as the ability to eliminate them is also impaired. This causes an inextinguishable feeling of tiredness and it is this which, although the individual seems to have had enough rest, the fatigues are still there and they do not appear to be related to the level of the person’s activity. The point of emphasis in the sentence is on the fact that any newly occurring, unexplained fatigue should not be taken lightly.
4. Rapid Weight Loss and Wasting
The foremost early symptoms signal especially of the late stages of the disease is fast and noticeable weight loss as well as muscle wasting that is highly visible. The tumors “steal” food from the normal tissues and this results in consequent sudden, drastic body changes as well as decrease in energy and cheerfulness. Sudden changes in body weight or confusion should not be taken for granted and especially if combined with digestive symptoms, they should be alarm bells.
Who Is at Higher Risk?
A person who has a prolonged history of heavy drinking, whose family tree is marked with liver cancer, suffers from hepatitis, and has chronic liver disease should be doubly careful and vigilant of the early symptoms. Those individuals have to undergo regular check-ups screening is very important because they are at a higher risk of getting liver cancer.
What Should You Do?
If you can identify the early signs, it might be a breath of fresh air. You have to see a doctor right away when the symptoms of the diseases such as continuous belly pain, problems with eating, unrelenting fatigue, or rapid decrease in weight are noticeable in you or someone else. Early medical intervention can be very effective in terms of treatment and lead to a better prognosis.
Naresh Trehan is an Indian cardiovascular and cardiothoracic surgeon. After graduating from King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, India, he went on to practice at New York University Medical Center, Manhattan, USA from 1971 to 1988. He returned to India and started Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre.
