Here are some signs that may indicate liver cancer.
Liver cancer is often discovered during the monitoring of alcoholic cirrhosis or viral hepatitis. However, when it affects a healthy person, it is asymptomatic in most cases, which often leads to a delayed diagnosis. If it is a so-called "silent" cancer, symptoms may appear and vary depending on the stage, according to the Leon Bérard Cancer Center. These may include:
Fatigue;
abdominal pain localized to the right side of the abdomen;
unexplained weight loss;
jaundice (yellow of the skin and eyes);
abdominal bloating;
loss of appetite;
fear;
and itching. However
, in a video posted on her TikTok account in November 2023, Dr. Pauline Guillouche, a gastroenterologist and hepatologist, reminded viewers that suggestive symptoms of liver dysfunction “are not specific to liver cancer, but should prompt you to consult a doctor so that further investigations can be carried out.”Liver cancer: what are the possible treatments?
On its website, the INCa lists the "four types of standard treatments" for liver cancer:
Partial surgical removal of the part of the liver containing the tumor;
liver transplantation;
tumor ablation, which aims to destroy the tumor locally using heat or cold, through the skin and therefore without opening the abdomen;
and chemotherapy, which aims to reduce the size of the tumor and slow the progression of the disease.
Liver cancer: key points to remember.
In 2023, nearly 11,660 new cases of liver cancer were recorded in France.
Alcohol, tobacco, hepatitis B and C, obesity and being overweight, hemochromatosis, fatty liver disease, and a sedentary lifestyle are risk factors.
Liver cancer is asymptomatic in most cases, which often leads to late diagnosis.
Symptoms may appear and vary depending on the stage. These symptoms are not specific to liver cancer but should prompt a consultation for further examination.
