Diagnosis of Liver Cancer
If you have symptoms that suggest liver cancer, there are different types of diagnostic tests your physician may order.
Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is a type of cancer that forms in the liver, an organ that plays a vital role in filtering blood, processing nutrients, and removing toxins from the body. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which develops in the liver's main cells and often appears as a liver tumor. According to the American Cancer Society, liver cancer rates in the United States have tripled, and approximately 42,000 Americans are diagnosed with liver cancer each year.
Understanding your liver cancer risk factors, recognizing the signs and symptoms of liver cancer, and seeking timely medical care can help improve treatment outcomes.
Liver Cancer Risk Factors
Risk factors for developing liver cancer include:
- Hepatitis B (HBV) and/or hepatitis C (HCV)
- Cirrhosis
- Alcohol consumption
- Smoking
- Eating foods tainted with aflatoxin B1 (poison from a fungus that can grow on foods, such as grains and nuts, that have not been stored properly)
- Obesity
- Family history
Signs & Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Many people with liver cancer do not experience symptoms in the early stages, making awareness and early detection especially important. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should contact your physician:
- Feeling of fullness just below the rib cage on the right side, potentially indicating an enlarged liver
- Feeling of fullness just below the rib cage on the left side, potentially indicating an enlarged spleen
- Abdominal pain or swelling in the abdomen
- Pain around the right shoulder blade
- Unexplained weight loss
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
Liver Cancer Staging
There are 4 different stages of liver cancer. Figuring out the stage will help your oncologist determine the type of treatment for liver cancer.
Treatment Types for Liver Cancer
Read through the types of treatments that could be used to treat liver cancer like surgery, ablation, embolization, targeted therapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
