Primary liver cancer is hepatic cancer in which the cancer began in the liver. Secondary liver cancer occurs when the cancer begins in other areas of the patient's body and then spreads to the liver. The Liver Cancer Network lists pain, malaise, jaundice and loss of weight as the main symptoms that develop during the end stages of cancer.
Pain from Liver Cancer
The Liver Cancer Network states that one of the main symptoms of the end stages of liver cancer is pain. The pain that the patient experiences is mainly located in the right lower abdomen but may also be reflected contra-laterally to the left side of the abdomen. The pain that the patient will experience in the end stages of liver cancer is as a result of a number of various causes. One of the main causes of the pain experienced is from the destruction of normal tissue by the cancer cells. The stretching of internal tissue by tumor growth and the pressure of a tumor on an organ will also cause pain and discomfort.
Malaise
According to the Liver Cancer Network, one of the main symptoms associated with the end stages of liver cancer is malaise. Medline Plus describes malaise as a generalized feeling of discomfort, illness or lack of well-being. Malaise is normally accompanied with fatigue which is basically a feeling of not having enough energy to perform the usual daily activities.
Jaundice
The Liver Cancer Network lists down jaundice as one of the main conditions associated with the end stages of liver cancer. Medline Plus defines jaundice as a condition that causes a patient's skin and the whites of the eyes to turn to yellow. The main cause of jaundice is having too much bilirubin in the body. Bilirubin is a chemical that is within hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the substance that carries oxygen in the red blood cells. The buildup of bilirubin in the body causes the skin and the white of the eyes to assume its color.
Loss of Weight
Loss of weight is described by the Liver Cancer Network to be one of the conditions occurring in the end stages of liver cancer. The liver is responsible for the uptake, storage and distribution of nutrients in the body. Liver cancer renders the liver incapable of performing these functions at optimal levels, thus leading to loss of weight in the patient.
