Liver cancer is a cancer that's found anywhere in the liver. It can start in the liver (primary) or spread from another organ (secondary).
Symptoms of liver cancer include jaundice, losing weight, a high temperature, feeling or being sick, and pain, swelling or a lump in your tummy.
Anyone can get liver cancer. It's often linked to lifestyle. Men, those over 60 or those with conditions like cirrhosis may be more likely to get it.
Liver cancer is not always preventable. But healthy lifestyle changes like cutting down on alcohol can lower your chances of getting it.
Liver cancer is often treatable. Treatment depends on your situation. It may include surgery, chemotherapy, heat treatment (ablation) and medicines.
Read more on the NHS website.
Symptoms of liver cancer include jaundice, losing weight, a high temperature, feeling or being sick, and pain, swelling or a lump in your tummy.
Main symptoms of liver cancer
Liver cancer may not have any symptoms, or they might be hard to spot.
The symptoms are the same if the liver cancer starts in the liver (primary liver cancer) or spreads from another part of the body (secondary liver cancer).
Symptoms of liver cancer can include:
- your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow (jaundice), you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual
- loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- feeling tired or having no energy
- feeling generally unwell or having symptoms like flu
- a lump in the right side of your tummy
Other symptoms can affect your digestion, such as:
- feeling or being sick
- pain at the top right side of your tummy or in your right shoulder
- symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling full very quickly when eating
- a very swollen tummy that is not related to when you eat
Read more on the NHS website.
Liver cancer is often treatable. Treatment depends on your situation. It may include surgery, chemotherapy, heat treatment (ablation) and medicines.
Medical treatments
Liver cancer is often treatable, but it can be difficult to treat.
The treatment you have will depend on:
- if the cancer started in the liver (primary) or spread from somewhere else (secondary), but treatments for primary and secondary liver cancer are similar
- the size and type of liver cancer you have
- where it is
- if it has spread
- your general health
It may include surgery, chemotherapy, using heat to destroy the cancer (thermal ablation), and using targeted medicines.
The specialist care team looking after you will:
- explain the treatments, benefits and side effects
- work with you to create a treatment plan that is best for you
- help you manage any side effects, including changes to your diet to help you digest your food
Read more on the NHS website.
Liver cancer is not always preventable. But healthy lifestyle changes like cutting down on alcohol can lower your chances of getting it.
Read more on the NHS website.
Anyone can get liver cancer. It's often linked to lifestyle. Men, those over 60 or those with conditions like cirrhosis may be more likely to get it.
Read more on the NHS website.