Primary liver cancer is difficult to detect at an early stage because its first symptoms are usually vague. As with other types of cancer, this disease can cause a general feeling of poor health. Cancer of the liver can lead to loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, fatigue, and weakness. As the cancer grows, pain may develop in the upper abdomen on the right side and may extend into the back and shoulder. Some people can feel a mass in the upper abdomen.
Liver cancer can also lead to abdominal swelling and a feeling of fullness or bloating.
Some people have episodes of fever and nausea, or develop jaundice, a condition in which the skin and the whites of the eyes become yellow and the urine becomes dark. Only a doctor can tell for sure. To make a diagnosis of liver cancer, the doctor takes a medical history, does a careful physical examination, and orders certain tests. Certain blood tests are used to see how well the liver is functioning. Blood tests can also be used to check for tumor markers, substances often found in abnormal amounts in patients with liver cancer.