Cancer is a general term for diseases caused by a dysregulation of damaged cells.
This process can occur anywhere in the body, making symptoms difficult to generalize and pinpoint.
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Faced with rising diagnoses, researchers urge a Increased awareness of cancer symptoms.
Occasionally, signs that a tumor is pressing against the liver may appear in the shoulder.
According to the Least Survivable Cancers Task Force, liver cancer is among the least easy forms of the disease to survive.
The health platform explains: «Together, six of these least survivable cancers – lung, pancreas, liver, brain, esophagus and stomach – are responsible for half of all deaths from common cancers and make up a quarter of cancer cases. «.
The disease occurs when malignant cells divide and grow uncontrollably in the liver, destroying neighboring healthy tissue.
This rapid cell growth triggers the formation of tumors around the liver, which can cause symptoms in regions of the body apparently unrelated.
Cancer Research UK explained: “A swollen (enlarged) liver can cause right shoulder pain.
“This is because the enlarged liver stimulates the nerves that connect to the nerves in the shoulder. This is called ‘referred pain.’”
The pain may be felt on the right side or near the right shoulder blade and tends to be continuous.
Occasionally, the pain may radiate to the back or spread to the upper right side of the stomach.
Signs that the disease is indicative of cancer may include swelling in the abdomen, legs, or ankles, which may cause discomfort.
Sometimes abdominal swelling can occur only on the right side of the cavity.
This is because the increased pressure on the liver could force blood to back up into the blood vessels.
When this occurs, fluid leaves the veins and enters the abdominal cavity, causing a swelling below the surface of the abdomen.
The figures show that, without treatment, the median survival rate for stage A liver cancer is 3 years.
While many cases stem from unknown causes, research shows that most are due to organ damage, such as cirrhosis.
The causes of cirrhosis, on the other hand, are more clear-cut, with excessive alcohol consumption and prolonged hepatitis B or hepatitis C viral infection among the known causes.
Both infections, which are spread through contact with blood, can cause liver scarring over time.
How to avoid cancer
Although there is no proven way to prevent cancer, some lifestyle factors have been shown to reduce the risk of the disease.
Food sources rich in antioxidants, for example, contain molecules that act to neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals.
This process is essential to preserve the health of cells and prevent them from becoming cancerous.
Exercise is equally important for reducing inflammation, maintaining a healthy weight and boosting the immune system, according to research.