Liver cancer is the eighth most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK, accounting for almost 6,000 every year. For some the disease will be unavoidable, with age and family history both risk factors. However, your risk is also increased by multiple lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol and obesity.
Both these signs are due to jaundice, which can also cause the whites of your eyes to become yellow.
This occurs if a yellow substance called bilirubin builds up around the body.
Bilirubin is created during the process of breaking down old red blood cells.
A healthy liver is able to remove most of the bilirubin from the body. However, if the liver becomes damaged the bilirubin can leak from the liver into the blood, causing jaundice.
Other common symptoms of liver cancer include:
- Weight loss
- Feeling sick
- Swollen tummy (abdomen)
- Loss of appetite or feeling full after eating small amounts
- Pain in your abdomen
- A lump in the right side of your abdomen
- Pain in your right shoulder.
Cancer Research UK says: “See your GP if you have any of these symptoms.
“Remember primary liver cancer isn’t common in the UK and these symptoms can be caused by other conditions.
“But it’s important to get them checked by a doctor.”