Liver Cancer Symptoms in Men

Liver is the largest internal organ of the human body. The type of cancer that affects the liver is called liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver cancer is a very common cancer that seems to have high incidence in men than women. There are different types of liver cancers. The cancer that arises from the liver is called hepatoma or primary liver cancer. Secondary liver cancer is the cancer that does not begin in the liver but has metastasized to liver from other cancerous organs of the body. Most of the liver cancer symptoms in men are also seen in women. However, there are certain signs and symptoms of liver cancer in men that differ by sex.

There are different liver cancer stages. The liver cancer prognosis depends according to these stages. The following paragraphs will discuss what are symptoms of liver cancer in men.

What are Symptoms of Liver Cancer in Men
Liver cancer symptoms are mostly asymptomatic during the early stages. The liver cancer symptoms begin to appear slowly as the disease progresses. If these signs and symptoms of liver cancer in men are overlooked, the disease can progress to an advanced stage that becomes very difficult to treat. Let us now see what are symptoms of liver cancer in men.

Erectile Problems
Men who suffer from cancers that affect their abdominal area may suffer from erectile dysfunction. This is because their genitals are very delicate and sensitive. Any disorder or change in biochemical level of the body may cause erectile problems. There are many changes occurring the man's body suffering from liver cancer. These changes cause erectile dysfunction in men with liver cancer. However, not every erectile dysfunction points to liver cancer. Get yourself examined to find out the underlying cause of this problem other than liver cancer.

Breast Enlargement
This may sound a bit weird, but one of the symptoms is enlargement of breast. This means the breasts increase in size and are beyond the size of normal swelling. Many men often have their breast size increase to the size of a woman's breast. Their breasts become tender and are painful to touch. This is a very rare symptom that is not seen in many other disorders. Therefore, if a man experiences breast enlargement he should get himself examined for liver cancer.

Bloody Urine
One of the signs and symptoms of liver cancer in men is blood in urine. This is an indication of problems in liver, testicular cancer or prostate cancer as well. The liver gets filled with blood when the liver cells become cancerous. This causes the blood to flow out thrown the urinary system and thus observed in urine. If a man experiences this symptom, he needs to seek medical advice.

Swollen Testicles
Swollen testicles are a common symptom of cancer in men. Sometimes the cancerous cells from liver may spread to the testicles leading to swellings or lumps in the testicles. Most of the time, these lumps are painless. This causes men to ignore this symptom and overlook the medical time bomb in their liver.

General Liver Cancer Symptoms
There are other liver cancer symptoms that also occur in women. The following symptoms are seen in both the genders.

• Jaundice
• Unexplained weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Pain on the right side of the abdomen near the area of liver
• Pain radiating from the abdominal area towards the right shoulder blades as the disease progresses
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Hepatitis
• Liver cirrhosis

You should speak to your doctor if either of the signs and symptoms of liver cancer are observed. The risk of developing liver cancer increases if one has suffered from hepatitis B, is a chronic alcoholic, exposed to environmental pollutants like polyvinyl chloride or suffers from cirrhosis of liver. Men are 10 times more likely to develop liver cancer than women. Follow a healthy life and drink alcohol in moderation. If one is diagnosed with liver cancer, speak to the doctor for the treatment options available to cure the disease. Most of the symptoms also point towards other forms of cancers seen in men. If you suspect any abnormality or drastic change in your body, seek medical help.