It is important to know that liver cancer can express itself in a way that does not cause symptoms, especially during its early stages. The American Cancer Society does not recommend any wide screening test for patients who are average risk, such as those who do not show symptoms and do not have a family history of liver cancer. This is due to the liver being blocked off by most screening tests due to the ribcage interfering.
Patients who suffer from any cirrhosis of the liver, chronic Hepatitis B infection, or certain genetic diseases may need to be screened more often than average-risk patients.
However, it is important for any person who shows any of these early warning signs to speak with a medical professional as soon as they can:
- A pain near the right shoulder pain, in the back, or on the top of the abdominal area that does not go away.
- A hard lump under the ribs on the right side of the body, a common sign that the liver has gotten bigger
- Prolonged weakness and fatigue
- Unaccounted for weight loss
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, which is called jaundice
While these symptoms might be alarming they are not immediately a sign of liver cancer. If your doctor believes that you are suffering from liver cancer they will often perform an ultrasound, which uses sonic images that will give a better picture of your soft tissue than an X-Ray can provide. If they require further testing, they may use ultrasound technology in order to help guide a biopsy of any growth inside of your body, in order to test if the growth is cancerous.
The good news is that treatments for liver cancer grow better every day and with early detection, treatment is possible. If you or a loved one has any questions regarding liver cancer or liver cancer screenings, please speak to a medical professional today.
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