What are the early symptoms of liver cancer? The 4 most obvious symptoms of early liver cancer

Experts point out that if you find yourself experiencing abnormal physical symptoms in your daily life, such as losing weight for no reason or feeling very tired, these may be early symptoms of liver cancer and should be taken seriously. In the early stages of liver cancer, the first thing patients feel is physical fatigue. Compared with fatigue caused by other reasons, fatigue caused by liver cancer cannot be eliminated even if the patient lies down and rests quietly.

Experts say that cancer cells damage the liver's storage function. The calories produced by the food consumed by the human body will be absorbed by the intestines, and some will be transported to the liver for storage. When our body needs it, it will be transported to all parts of the body. If the liver is invaded by liver cancer cells, the liver's storage function will be damaged and the body's fuel supply will be reduced. On the other hand, as the tumor continues to expand, it causes digestive tract dysfunction, indigestion, and nutrient absorption disorders, so mental fatigue due to lack of energy will occur.

What are the early symptoms of liver cancer?

So, in addition to this feeling of fatigue and weakness, what other common symptoms of early liver cancer do we need to know about?

1. Fever. A considerable number of liver cancer patients will have symptoms of sweating and fever. Most fevers are low to moderate, and a few patients may have high fevers, above 39°C, generally not accompanied by chills. The fever of liver cancer is mostly cancerous fever, which is caused by the release of pyrogens into the blood circulation after tumor tissue necrosis. Tumor patients are prone to infection due to low resistance, and fever may also occur. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish from cancerous fever of liver cancer. It is necessary to combine blood counts and observe whether antibacterial treatment is effective to make a judgment.

2. Digestive tract symptoms. According to incomplete statistics, about 37% of liver disease patients mistakenly think they have "stomach disease" in the early stage of the disease, which leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Loss of appetite, upper abdominal fullness after meals, belching, indigestion, nausea, etc. are common digestive tract symptoms of liver cancer, among which loss of appetite and abdominal distension are the most common. Diarrhea is also a common digestive tract symptom of liver cancer. It has been reported both at home and abroad. The incidence rate is high and it is easily mistaken for chronic enteritis. Portal hypertension and intestinal dysfunction caused by portal vein or hepatic vein cancer thrombus can cause abdominal distension and increased bowel movements. Abdominal distension can also be caused by ascites. Gastrointestinal dysfunction can also lead to symptoms such as indigestion, belching, and nausea.

3. Pain in the liver area. The vast majority of patients with advanced liver cancer present with pain in the liver area as the first symptom, with an incidence rate of over 50%. Pain in the liver area is generally located in the right rib or under the xiphoid process. The pain is intermittent or persistent, dull or stabbing. The patient may feel discomfort in the right upper abdomen for a period of time before the pain. The pain may be mild or severe or relieve itself in the short term. The main cause of the pain is the rapid enlargement of the tumor, which compresses the liver capsule and produces pulling pain. It can also be caused by the necrosis of the tumor irritating the liver capsule.

4. Bleeding tendency. Liver cancer patients often have bleeding gums, subcutaneous ecchymoses and other bleeding tendencies, which are mainly caused by damaged liver function and abnormal coagulation function. It is especially common in patients with liver cancer and cirrhosis. Gastrointestinal bleeding is more common, mainly due to portal hypertension leading to esophageal varices. In fact, gastrointestinal bleeding is also the main cause of death in liver cancer patients.

In addition, patients with liver cancer and ascites often have lower limb edema, which may occur at the ankle in mild cases and spread to the entire lower limb in severe cases. Clinically, some patients have been seen with severe lower limb edema, with fluid oozing out of the thigh skin. The main cause of lower limb edema is ascites compressing the lower limb veins or cancer thrombus blocking them, which obstructs venous return. Mild edema can also be caused by low plasma albumin.