The First Steps With Liver Cancer Risk
Liver Cancer Risk: the few things that matter most, and the mistakes that catch people out early.
Primary liver cancer, which develops almost entirely in livers already damaged by another condition.
Key takeaways
- Main risk factor: cirrhosis from any cause
- Surveillance: ultrasound every 6 months in cirrhosis
- Most useful single change: Attend six-monthly surveillance if you have cirrhosis.
- Commonest mistake: Missing surveillance scans because you feel well.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Why bother
Surveillance in people with cirrhosis finds it early enough to treat, which is why attending scans matters so much.
Start here
Two things, and nothing else until both feel routine.
- Attend six-monthly surveillance if you have cirrhosis
- Treat the underlying cause: alcohol, hepatitis or metabolic disease
Then add these
Once the basics are in place, add these.
- Have hepatitis B vaccination if you are not immune
- Stop alcohol completely if you have any liver scarring
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Main risk factor | cirrhosis from any cause |
| Surveillance | ultrasound every 6 months in cirrhosis |
| Other risks | chronic hepatitis B, heavy alcohol, fatty liver disease |
| Prevention | treating the underlying liver disease |
Common early mistakes
- Missing surveillance scans because you feel well
- Continuing alcohol with established liver disease
- Assuming normal liver blood tests mean no risk
Where to go next
- Liver Cancer Risk, Explained Without the Jargon
- A Working Checklist for Liver Cancer Risk
- Liver Cancer Risk — the reference entry
- What the Guidance Really Says About Fatty Liver Disease
- Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: What Published Guidance Supports
When to speak to a doctor
See a GP promptly for unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, upper right abdominal pain or a lump, persistent nausea, or worsening jaundice. Seek urgent help for vomiting blood, black tarry stools, abdominal swelling, or confusion, which indicate decompensation.
Where this comes from
- NICE — Suspected cancer: recognition and referral
- British Liver Trust — liver cancer
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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