Itchy Skin May Be a Warning Sign of Cancer

A Taiwanese doctor shared a case of an elderly man who had been suffering from itchy skin for a long time. Initially, he thought it was eczema, but after seeking medical treatment, there was no improvement. He was later admitted to the hospital, where a thorough examination revealed that he had a liver tumor and was diagnosed with liver cancer.

Doctors said that the most obvious feature of liver cancer is jaundice, which can cause skin irritation, leading to itching. The public is reminded not to take it lightly.

Liver Cancer: A Case Study

Dr. Liu Boren, an expert in nutritional and functional medicine from Taiwan, shared a case of an elderly man who had itchy skin that lasted for 3 months. He had been to the dermatology department many times for medical treatment and was initially diagnosed with eczema, but after taking medication, there was no improvement.

He was later diagnosed with urticaria (rheumatoid arthritis), but there was no improvement after continuing to take medicine and ointments. The elderly man later found that his complexion had become yellowish, and after seeking medical treatment at the hospital, it was confirmed that he had jaundice and yellowing of the skin.

He was referred to the Department of Hepatobiliary and Gastroenterology for a thorough examination, where an abdominal ultrasound revealed a 7-centimeter tumor on the side of the liver. He was diagnosed with liver cancer and needed to be surgically removed.

Liver Cancer: 4 Major Cancer Warning Signs

Liu Boren pointed out that when tumors occur in the liver, pancreas, or bile duct, there is a possibility that the body will develop jaundice, and jaundice contains bilirubin. When bilirubin invades the blood, it can irritate the skin, causing skin irritation and persistent itching.

The doctor reminds everyone that when the skin continues to itch, it could be a warning sign of four important cancers, and reminds everyone not to take it lightly.

Causes of Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is the third leading cancer killer in Hong Kong, with about 1,800 new cases each year, 75% of which are men. The average age of onset is 63 to 69 years old. There are more than 1,500 deaths from liver cancer patients who are in advanced stages at the time of diagnosis.

There are 8 main causes of liver cancer:

• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Alcohol consumption
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Family history
• Aflatoxin exposure
• Other liver diseases

Symptoms of Liver Cancer

Pan Dongping, founder and chairman of the Hong Kong Liver and Gastrointestinal Cancer Foundation and a specialist surgeon, pointed out that early-stage liver cancer is painless and difficult to distinguish even if there is abdominal pain, so it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage.

Because the liver has a self-healing function, it can continue to function normally even if only a small part of it remains. Therefore, the early symptoms are not obvious, but as the tumor gradually grows, the following 9 common symptoms will appear:

• Abdominal pain
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• Jaundice
• Dark urine
• Pale stools
• Itching

Prevention of Liver Cancer

Because the early symptoms of liver cancer are not obvious, many patients are diagnosed with the cancer in the middle and late stages. Treatment of liver cancer is relatively difficult, so prevention is much better than cure.

The following 7 tips can help prevent liver cancer:

• Get vaccinated against hepatitis B
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Eat a balanced diet
• Exercise regularly
• Avoid exposure to aflatoxins
• Get regular check-ups