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Liver Cancer Causes, Prevention & Symptoms |
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Risk Factors
As with many cancers, the exact cause of liver cancer is not yet known. However, physicians have identified several potential risk factors:
- Hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C
- A close relative with hepatitis and liver cancer
- Cirrhosis (a disease in which liver cells are damaged and replaced with scar tissue). In the U.S., the major causes of liver cirrhosis are alcohol abuse, hepatitis B and C, and fatty liver disease (an obesity-related condition). The mergence of fatty liver disease is alarming because it affects people of all ages, including children, and is now the major cause of cirrhosis in children and adolescents.
- Eating foods with afatoxin, a fungal poison that can grow in grains, soybeans and nuts not properly stored. However, this is generally not an issue in the United States.
Prevention tips
You can take an active role to prevent liver cancer. Limit alcohol consumption and avoid exposure to hepatitis B and C viruses. Ask your doctor about the vaccine that is available for hepatitis B. While there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, it is known that the virus can be spread by unprotected sex, dirty needles and blood transfusions. And, as always, physicians recommend a healthy diet and exercise to prevent fatty liver disease, and limited use of tobacco products.
Signs and Symptoms
- Loss of appetite and weight
- Upset stomach
- Pain or discomfort in the upper right abdomen and/or extending into the back or shoulder
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
- Fatigue or general weakness
Learn more
Gastrointestinal Cancer Unit
Moores UCSD Cancer Center
3855 Health Sciences Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
(858) 822-6100 |