A very close friend of mine was diagnosed with liver cancer in 1994. He had hepatitis c which eventually does turn into liver cancer after 20 years, and these are the symptoms he experienced, along with some known facts.
He had a feeling of being full all the time, looking very bloated in the abdomen area, which is called as-cites. In the abdominal area as-cites is fluid filling the tissues in the surrounding area. He did not exhibit any pain at all. He was going through a clinical trail with Am-gen for hepatitis c, and was given interferon. Once he finished the clinical trial he required an x-ray to see if the interferon in fact worked for the hepatitis c. When the x-ray was taken the doctors found a large mass in the liver that was connected to the artery and was then deemed inoperable. The doctors then order a biopsy of the tumor to check for malignancy of the tumor. He then was diagnosed with liver cancer; the tumor was diagnosed as a cancerous malignant neoplasm. He also had portal hypertension his cancer never did spread to any other parts of the body.
There were no major signs or symptoms to warn of liver cancer; this is why it is a silent killer. There are minor symptoms to consider; hepatitis c does turn in to cancer after 20 years, and cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer.
Once any of these symptoms appear, the cancer most likely has extensively invaded the liver area, and surrounding tissues. When visiting a doctor they will press on the area where the liver is located, to look for signs of tenderness or swelling in the liver. A sudden onset of as-cities: (fluid retention in the abdominal area) is a good indicator of possible liver cancer, jaundice: (yellowing of the skin and eyes) is another symptom of liver cancer. Many times the primary tumor in the liver will attach to the portal vein, creating many blood vessels coming out of the tumor, and can cause blockage cutting off blood flow to parts of the liver, and surrounding organs. Which is in the case of my friend his tumor was very vascular, causing portal hypertension , an increase of blood pressure in the portal veins, when this happens it can cause esophageal varies ,which are the tiny veins in the esophagus to expand dilate, and burst causing hemorrhaging. Excessive alcohol consumption can be a contributing factor in contracting liver cancer. Very rarely does liver cancer spread to bones or brain however, this type of liver cancer does spread to the lungs. In some circumstances the tumor can rupture, but this is very rare, liver cancer itself cannot be diagnosed by routine blood test. Testing for liver cancer is done using a blood test called alpha -feta-protein along with cat scans, x-rays and, biopsy of the liver.
