The liver is very good at repairing itself and can even function normally with just a small part of it in working order. This means that liver cancer symptoms often do not appear until the cancer is at an advanced stage and may then only include vague effects such as weight loss, pain, weakness or tiredness.
However, it is important to find liver cancer early because it is in the early stage that is curable thanks to surgery, ablation of the tumour(s) or liver transplantation.
When the disease is more advanced, transarterial chemoembolisation, systemic targeted agents, or Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) can be used to shrink tumour(s), slow progression, prolong life or relieve symptoms.