Liver cancer is often detected during follow-up care for alcoholic cirrhosis or viral hepatitis. However, when it affects a healthy person, it is asymptomatic in most cases, which often leads to late diagnosis. If it is a so-called “silent” liver cancer, symptoms may appear and vary depending on the stage, according to the Léon Bérard Cancer Center. These may include:
Fatigue;
abdominal pain localized to the right side of the abdomen;
unexplained weight loss;
jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes);
abdominal swelling;
loss of appetite;
nausea;
itching. In a video posted to her TikTok account in November 2023, Dr. Pauline Guillouche, a gastroenterologist and hepatologist, reminded viewers that symptoms indicative of liver dysfunction “are not specific to liver cancer, but should prompt a consultation with a doctor for further testing.”
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Liver cancer: What are the possible treatments?
On its website, the INCa (National Cancer Institute) lists the “four standard treatment types” for liver cancer:
Partial surgical removal of the part of the liver containing the tumor;
