Liver cancer is the fifth most common type of cancer among men, and ninth most common type of cancer among women. Around 28,000 Americans are diagnosed with liver cancer every year.
Risk factors for developing liver cancer include:
- Having hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C.
- Having a close relative with both hepatitis B and liver cancer.
- Having cirrhosis.
- Eating foods tainted with aflatoxin (poison from a fungus that can grow on foods, such as grains and nuts, that have not been stored properly).
- Obesity.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should contact your physician:
- Hard lump on the right side just below the rib cage.
- Discomfort in the upper abdomen on the right side.
- Pain around the right shoulder blade.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).
- Unusual tiredness.
- Nausea.
- Loss of appetite.
Visit the National Cancer Institute where this information and more can be found about Liver Cancer or ask your cancer care team questions about your individual situation.
Lo que usted necesita saber sobre el cáncer de hígado en español.