Hepatocellular carcinoma (patient information)
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What is Hepatocellular carcinoma
The liver is the largest internal organ which lies under your right ribs just beneath your right lung. It is a very important organ for digest and metabolism. Primary liver cancer starts in the liver. Metastatic liver cancer starts somewhere else and spreads to your liver. It is hard to detect early for hepatocellular carcinoma. Even if you get symptoms, they may not cause your emphasis. Frequent symptoms include pain and lump in the right abdomen, yellowing of the eyes and skin, marasmus and fatigue. Possible treatments include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. And prognosis is not good for most hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
How do I know if I have Hepatocellular carcinoma and what are the symptoms of Hepatocellular carcinoma?
Early hepatocellular carcinoma does not make any symptoms. When the cancer grows larger, people may notice one or more symptoms as the following:
- Abdominal pain and vague abdominal fullness: At first the location may locate on right upper abdomen. It is relatively mild pain or no pain may be present with life-threatening condition. With the development of the cancer, abdominal pain may be persistent.
- Abdominal lump: People can not find any lump at the beginning of the disease. When the cancer enlarge, the lump may be obvious in abdominal.
- Jaundice and itching: This is caused by hepatocellular necrosis and obstruction of bile in any stage bile ducts.
- Nausea and vomiting: Hepatocellular carcinoma disturbs the normal functions of digest.
- Vomiting blood: This symptom is contributed to many factors such disfunction of liver and spleen.
- Loss of appetite: Some patients endure loss of appetite without any inducement.
- General decline in health: This is because of the consumption of the cancer.
- Weakness or fatigue: The reason is also because the cancer wastes your energy.
- Fever
Infections or other health problems may also cause these symptoms. Only a doctor can tell for sure. A person with any of these symptoms should tell his/her doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.