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Liver cancer early signs?

DaveW1970
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Hi,

Hopefully, I'm just being a hypochondriac here, but I was wondering what the early signs were for any liver cancer sufferers or their loved ones that use this site.

I have had an all-over itch for about 3 weeks now, some painful lymph nodes in my left groin area since Boxing Day (which seem to have subsided a bit) and bloods taken a few days ago are showing normal liver function except a highish GGT of 86. The GP thinks the GGT may be a result of the 'Christmas excess' (although I drank only moderately) and isn't convinced that the itching is related. Bloods will be repeated in early February after a month of abstinence to see if the GGT is back in normal range.

I suffer from IBS, and maybe that could be related - dunno?

Anyway, any advice or experience would be much appreciated.

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    My husband has secondary liver cancer and has never itched.  I would trust your GP and the blood results, sometimes we itch for numerous reasons.  You obviously are concerned about cancer posting on this forum but honestly only your GP can guide you in the right direction.  Hopefully all goes well. Carol 

  • Offline in reply to Dor06

    Hi. Thanks for your kind words. Yes, a little concerned as I've always had normal Liver function results up to now and this itching is also very new to me. It seems strange that Gamma GT can be high when all other liver enzymes read normal.  

    This concern of mine is perhaps borne out of the fact that a school friend of mine (also 50) sadly died of a bile duct tumour just over 12 months ago. He said he ignored a few signs before finally seeing his GP. I admired his unwavering positivity throughout his illness - he was waaay tougher than I could ever be!

  • Offline in reply to DaveW1970

    Our bodies fluctuate in different ways all the time, I sometimes wake up scratching my arms badly but I'm not ill or have blood problems.  If you are scared you need to be checked out further, we all have friends that have died of something, it doesn't mean that you have it.  Carol 

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    Hi,

    My 20yr old son just got diagnosed (Dec 30th 2020) with stage 4 liver cancer (primary) it's called Hepatocellular Carcinoma. The main symptom he had for a couple of months has been night sweats. He still has them. He gets absolutely drenched through but does not feel hot or cold. He had a feverish temperature before treatment started on NYE. He had and still has a fast heart rate (tachycardia) especially when even just sitting up, and by fast I mean it's been hitting up to 160 bpm, this is down to anaemia and having liver cancer cells found in various lymph nodes. His other main symptom was and is feeling full quite quickly on eating, started with discomfort just below his breast bone on eating but now it's painful (he was found to have a tennis ball-sized tumour there)

    Despite having stage 4 liver cancer my son still has normal liver function results from his blood tests. He has 3 large tumours in his liver and his oncologist said that you can still get normal liver results and the liver can still function quite well even with advanced liver cancer. My son's diagnosis is very rare in someone his age and previous excellent health.

    He did not have the itching but he does have lots of little spots on his elbows, knees, shins, feet, arms and face.

    Hope this helps and you get results soon, and the results are good news for you. If you are very worried then I would ask for a scan, sooner is better than later.

  • Offline in reply to ZJBC75

    Wow! That reply puts things in perspective for me - I need to quit my whingeing. I am gobsmacked that a 20 year old can find themselves in that situation - and now I'm praying he responds well to the treatment. I had night sweats for a while in 2019 and inflamed nodes but, thankfully, that was suspected to be due to a mere viral infection. I really wish your son every possible success in his battle, and I'm grateful for the insight into the symptoms. 

  • Offline in reply to DaveW1970

    I would definitely keep pushing for tests etc if you're worried. Liver cancer is hard to treat and prognosis is poor unless caught early. I wish I had pushed harder to make my son see the dr when he was feeling a bit off in late Sept.

    Best of luck to you.

  • Offline in reply to DaveW1970

    P.s I forgot, another symptom is very dark urine.

  • Offline in reply to ZJBC75

    Thanks - you can be sure I will be all over this if my follow up bloods show no reduction in GGT. 
    My urine seems 'normal' so far and varies in shade; I will look out for any change though

  • Offline in reply to DaveW1970

    I've been referred for an abdominal ultrasound (due to the radiation dose, the GP wanted to avoid a CT scan until we know it's essential). Hopefully, if they see anything it will be benign or treatable!  I do have dull pain below my ribs on both sides now, so the sooner I'm scanned the better.

  • Offline in reply to DaveW1970

    Hi Dave did you find anything of the outcome of your results?

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