Common Symptoms Linked To Liver Cancer

Loss Of Appetite

An individual experiencing a loss of appetite may be affected by liver cancer. The liver is already a relatively large organ in the body that sits directly on top of the stomach. Any mechanism that causes the stomach to become compressed can cause the individual to feel full when they have eaten very little or nothing at all. This feeling of fullness causes a loss in the desire to eat food. A liver tumor can grow to a large size before actual liver cell displacement begins to occur. The liver as a whole becomes enlarged, causing the stomach to become compressed. Stomach compression worsens when the affected individual is in an upright position due to gravity. Another mechanism responsible for the loss of appetite in liver cancer is the buildup of toxins in the body. Malignancy causes the liver to have a diminished ability to filter and breakdown toxins in the blood. This toxicity causes multiple digestive symptoms, including nausea and vomiting. An individual with these digestive symptoms will lose their desire to eat.

Read more about the major warning signs of liver cancer now.

White And Chalky Stools

Individuals affected by liver cancer can have white and chalky stool. Bile is a substance required for the proper digestion of fats. The liver produces bile, and it is stored in the gallbladder until it is needed for digestion in the small intestine. Bile is also the substance that gives an individual's stool its brown color. Light stools occur when they are composed of a trivial amount or no bile. Liver cancer in an advanced stage can compromise liver function to the point where it is not producing any bile to aid in digestion. Healthy liver cells responsible for this function are replaced by rapidly multiplying and non-functional cancer cells and dense, fibrous scar tissue. Depending on the location and position of the liver tumor, the tube that carries bile from the liver to the small intestine or the bile duct can become compressed. If cancer grows into, around, or down the bile duct, it can stop bile from draining into the small intestine. When bile does not reach the intestine due to lack of production or obstruction, the affected individual has white and chalky stools.

Get more details on the symptoms associated with liver cancer now.