The following symptoms and complaints may indicate hepatocellular carcinoma (hepatocellular carcinoma/liver cancer):
Hepatocellular carcinoma is not conspicuous by specific symptoms but by a worsening of the underlying chronic liver disease. Symptoms
- Abdominal discomfort – discomfort in the abdomen.
- Anorexia (loss of appetite)
- Abdominal girth gain
- Weight loss
- Icterus (jaundice)
- Feeling of weakness
- Nausea/vomiting
- Feeling of fullness
However, in many affected individuals, especially in the early stages, the disease is asymptomatic, that is, without signs of disease.
In addition to the above symptoms, hepatocellular carcinoma may present with paraneoplastic signs. These are changes due to humoral remote effects of the tumor:
- Hypercalcemia (calcium excess).
- Pubertas praecox – too early onset of puberty.
- Gynecomastia – enlargement of the male mammary gland.
- Increased blood levels of the hormones gonadotropin and / or somatostatin.
- Hypercholesterolemia – too high blood cholesterol levels.
- Hypertriglyceridemia – too high blood triglyceride level.
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Erythrocytosis – increase of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the blood.
- Hemolytic anemia – form of anemia in which the erythrocytes (red blood cells) are destroyed.
- Acanthosis nigricans maligna (obligate cutaneous paraneoplasia) – occurrence in adenocarcinomas; clinical picture: brownish, symmetrical hyperpigmentation with keratoses in the axillary and inguinal regions, flexures of the joints, as well as in the neck, neck and genital areas.
In addition, there may be an increase in the following laboratory parameters:
- Alpha-fetoprotein
- CEA (Carcino-Embryonic Antigen).
- Coeruloplasmin
- Vitamin B12-binding protein
