Liver cancer
Last updated: 12 Dec. 2025
Reviewed by: Specialist doctors from the Elfcare quality team
Feeling more tired than usual? Noticing changes in your appetite or unexplained bloating? These are everyday experiences that many people dismiss. Yet sometimes, they can reflect how well your liver is functioning – a key organ that keeps your body in balance.
Liver cancer develops quietly, often without obvious symptoms in its early stages. That’s why understanding subtle changes and checking key liver health markers through simple blood tests can make a big difference.
At Elfcare, we believe that proactive monitoring helps you understand your body before small imbalances grow into bigger concerns. Early awareness empowers smarter choices and long-term wellbeing.
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What is liver cancer?
Liver cancer occurs when certain cells in the liver start growing in an abnormal, uncontrolled way. The liver is one of the body’s most vital organs. It filters toxins, processes nutrients, produces proteins, and helps regulate energy.
When liver cells become damaged by infections, long-term inflammation, or other causes, they may begin to divide irregularly. Over time, this can form a mass, also called a tumor. The most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which starts in the main liver cells (hepatocytes). Sometimes, cancer can also spread to the liver from other parts of the body, known as secondary or metastatic liver cancer.
Your liver is central to metabolism, hormone regulation, and detoxification. When its function is disrupted, your whole system can feel out of balance.
Symptoms of liver cancer
Early liver cancer symptoms can be vague and easy to overlook. Paying attention to these changes and getting tested helps you understand what’s happening inside your body.
Common symptoms:
Persistent tiredness or low energy
Loss of appetite or unexplained weight changes
Feeling full quickly or bloated after small meals
Pain or discomfort in the upper right abdomen
Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice)
Dark urine or pale stools
Nausea or general digestive discomfort
Less common or long-term signs may include:
Itchy skin
Swelling in the legs or abdomen
Unexplained fevers or night sweats
These symptoms can overlap with many other liver or digestive issues. That’s why testing is so important, it brings clarity.
What causes liver cancer?
There’s rarely a single cause. Liver cancer usually develops over time, often linked to ongoing liver stress or inflammation.
Common causes and risk factors include:
Chronic viral infections: Long-term infection with hepatitis B or C can damage liver cells.
Fatty liver disease: Linked to poor diet, insulin resistance, or obesity.
Alcohol use: Excessive alcohol over many years may cause scarring (cirrhosis).
Genetic conditions: Such as hemochromatosis (iron overload).
Environmental factors: Long-term exposure to certain toxins or aflatoxins in food.
Metabolic stress: Poor liver function from imbalanced cholesterol or elevated blood sugar.
Understanding your liver’s health through routine testing helps you identify and manage these risks early, before lasting damage occurs.
How is liver cancer detected?
Early detection focuses on identifying subtle signs of liver stress or dysfunction before major symptoms appear.
Key biomarkers tested in blood:
ALT (alanine aminotransferase) and AST (aspartate aminotransferase): Indicate liver cell health and inflammation.
ALP (alkaline phosphatase): Reflects bile duct or liver tissue changes.
Bilirubin: Shows how well your liver processes waste.
Albumin: Indicates how well the liver produces essential proteins.
AFP (alpha-fetoprotein): Can rise when certain liver cells grow abnormally.
GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase): Helps assess liver enzyme activity and bile flow.
Imaging tests like ultrasound or MRI are sometimes used to confirm findings, but regular blood checks give early insight into how your liver is performing day-to-day.
Elfcare’s blood tests measure these key biomarkers so you can spot imbalances before they start affecting your energy, digestion, or overall wellbeing.
Why early detection matters
Liver cancer usually develops slowly, often starting with mild inflammation or fat accumulation that may go unnoticed. Early detection gives you time to take simple, positive steps like improving diet, moderating alcohol, managing stress, or following up with your doctor for further evaluation.
When you understand your liver’s condition early, you can maintain balance, protect long-term metabolic health, and keep your energy steady.
How Elfcare can help
Elfcare’s health checks include comprehensive liver and metabolic panels designed to monitor your key biomarkers such as ALT, AST, bilirubin, and AFP. These tests reveal subtle changes that might otherwise go unnoticed.
We focus on awareness, not diagnosis. Your results help you have informed conversations with your healthcare provider and make small adjustments that support liver resilience and whole-body health.
Curious about your liver function and metabolism? Elfcare’s blood tests help you understand what’s happening inside your body early, so you can act with confidence and care.
Summary
Liver cancer is often silent in its early stages, but your body offers clues through subtle symptoms and blood changes. Regular testing brings those clues to light, helping you maintain balance and vitality.
Understanding your body means being proactive, not fearful. With awareness, you can make simple choices that support your energy, focus, and long-term health.
Last updated: 25 Nov. 2025
Reviewed by: Specialist doctors from the quality team at Elfcare
FAQs
What is liver cancer?
Primary liver cancer occurs when cells within the liver begin to mutate and grow out of control. The most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is distinct from "secondary" liver cancer, which refers to cancer that started elsewhere in the body and spread to the liver.
What are the most common symptoms of liver cancer?
In the early stages, liver cancer often causes no noticeable signs. As the condition progresses, symptoms may include unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, upper abdominal pain or swelling, severe fatigue, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).
It is important to remember that these symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, such as infections or other liver diseases, but any persistent changes should be evaluated by a doctor.
How is liver cancer diagnosed?
Diagnosis usually involves a combination of blood tests (to check for tumor markers and liver function) and imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT scans, or MRI. If imaging suggests an abnormality, a biopsy may be performed to analyze a small tissue sample, confirming whether the cells are cancerous and determining the stage.
Can liver cancer be treated or prevented?
Yes. Treatment depends on the type and stage of cancer, but may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or targeted drug treatments. When detected early, breast cancer is highly treatable, and most people recover fully with appropriate care.