Hepatocellular carcinoma history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Dildar Hussain, MBBS [2]

The majority of patients with are asymptomatic hepatocellular carcinoma during the early stages of the disease. Symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, weakness, jaundice, pruritus, splenomegaly, fatigue, hematemesis, fever, and loss of appetite.

• The majority of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are asymptomatic during the early stages of the disease.

• History of alcohol use:
  • Amount
  • Duration
• History of illicit drug use
• History of unprotected sexual intercourse

• History of infections:^[1]
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C
• History of autoimmune disorders:
  • Autoimmune hepatitis
  • Crohn’s disease
• History of blood transfusions
• History of jaundice

• History of menstrual irregularities

• Family history of liver disease:
  • Wilson’s disease
  • hemochromatosis

• History of use of any hepatotoxic drugs
• History of use of contraceptive hormones

• Industrial exposure to possible carcinogenic drugs

Patients are usually asymptomatic during the early stages of the disease. When the tumor increases in size, patients may notice one or more of the following symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal fullness
• Cough due to pleural effusion
• Constipation
• Coma
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Fetor hepaticus
• Forgetfulness
• Hepatic encephalopathy
  • Confusion
• Hematemesis
• Hypoglycemia
• Jaundice and pruritus due to hepatocellular necrosis and obstruction of the bile ducts
• Loss of appetite
• Lower limbs edema
• Nausea
• Portal Hypertension
  • Splenomegaly
  • Ascites
• Personality changes
• Vomiting
• Weight loss

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