Introduction: Liver cancer is a type of cancer. Since the liver organ does not have pain-sensing nerves, people can only be aware of the disease when the liver is sick. But if you find that your nails have turned white, you must be alert to whether it is liver cancer. In addition, let’s introduce a few signs of liver cancer.

White fingernails may be a sign of liver cancer

White fingernails are one of the symptoms of hepatitis B. Patients who are infected with the hepatitis B virus may develop white fingernails, but other factors It can also lead to whitening of fingernails. If the nails are pale, it is related to the lack of zinc and vitamin B6, or due to anemia. If the nails are obvious, it may be a sign of liver cancer.

What are the other signs of liver cancer?

1. Weight loss and fatigue

Patients with liver cancer often feel more fatigued than patients with other tumors, which is similar to patients with chronic hepatitis. The cause of fatigue is unknown. It may be due to digestive disorders and nutrient absorption disorders leading to energy deficiency, liver cell damage, decreased liver function, metabolic disorders, failure to inactivate certain toxins in time, or the release of toxic substances due to necrosis of liver cancer tissue. Weight loss is also a common symptom in liver cancer patients and is due to impaired liver function. Caused by decreased digestion and absorption function. As the disease progresses, the degree of weight loss may increase, and cachexia may occur in severe cases. This is not only an early symptom of liver cancer, but also occurs in other cancers.

2. Edema of the lower limbs

Patients with liver cancer and ascites often have edema of the lower limbs. In mild cases, it occurs in the ankles, and in severe cases, it can spread to the entire lower limbs. Clinically, it has been seen that some patients have high degree of edema in their lower limbs, and water can seep from the skin of their thighs. The main cause of lower limb edema is that ascites compresses the veins of the lower limbs or is blocked by tumor thrombus, which blocks venous return. Mild edema can also be caused by low plasma albumin.

3. Bleeding tendency

Patients with liver cancer often have bleeding tendencies such as gum bleeding and subcutaneous ecchymosis. This is mainly due to impaired liver function and abnormal coagulation function. It is combined with liver cancer. It is particularly common in patients with cirrhosis. Gastrointestinal bleeding is common and is mainly caused by esophageal and gastric varices caused by portal hypertension.

4. Pain in the liver area

The vast majority of patients with intermediate and advanced liver cancer have pain in the liver area as the first symptom, with an incidence rate of more than 50%. Pain in the liver area is generally located under the right rib or under the xiphoid process, and the nature of the pain is intermittent or persistent dull pain. Dull pain or tingling pain. Some time before the pain, the patient may feel discomfort in the right upper quadrant. The pain may be mild or severe or may relieve itself in the short term. The main cause of pain is the rapid growth of the tumor, which compresses the liver capsule and causes traction pain. It can also be caused by the necrosis of the tumor that invades the liver capsule.

5. Gastrointestinal symptoms

Decreased appetite and fullness in the upper abdomen after meals. Warmth, indigestion, nausea, etc. are common digestive tract symptoms of liver cancer, among which loss of appetite and abdominal distension are the most common. Diarrhea is also a common digestive tract symptom of liver cancer. It has been reported at home and abroad. The incidence rate is high and it is easily mistaken for chronic enteritis. Portal hypertension and intestinal dysfunction caused by portal vein or hepatic vein tumor thrombus can cause abdominal distension and increased stool frequency. Abdominal distension can also be caused by ascites. It is one of the early symptoms of liver cancer and is often ignored by patients.

6. Fever

A considerable number of liver cancer patients will experience sweating and fever. Most fevers are moderate to low fever, and a few patients may have high fever, above 39°C, which is generally not accompanied by chills. The fever caused by liver cancer is mostly cancerous fever, which is caused by the release of pyrogens into the blood circulation after tumor tissue dies. Due to low resistance, tumor patients are prone to infection and may also develop fever, which is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the cancerous fever of liver cancer. It is necessary to combine the blood picture and observe whether the antibacterial treatment is effective to determine whether the treatment is effective.