Does early-stage liver cancer cause yellowing of the skin?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on May 27, 2025
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In the early stages of liver cancer, generally, the skin does not turn yellow. This is because jaundice, which causes the skin to yellow, occurs in liver cancer patients due to the presence of jaundice. The causes of jaundice in liver cancer patients mainly consider two aspects. The first reason is due to the lesions of liver cancer, which damage liver cells and cause liver function damage, thereby causing jaundice. Another reason is due to significant liver lesions that compress the bile ducts and intrahepatic bile ducts, causing obstructive jaundice. Therefore, the appearance of jaundice is often a clinical manifestation of late-stage liver cancer. In the early stages of liver cancer, the lesions are generally small, causing only mild damage to liver function. Moreover, in most cases, it does not cause compression or obstruction in the biliary system, thus not leading to obstructive jaundice. Therefore, yellowing of the skin does not occur in the early stages.

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Written by Liu Liang
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What to do if vomiting occurs in liver cancer?

Liver cancer is divided into two main pathological types, the first being hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the most common, and the other being cholangiocellular carcinoma. Clinically, vomiting is also a common symptom of liver cancer. For symptomatic treatment, we can provide gastric protection and administer antiemetic drugs such as stomach comfort, but these are only symptomatic treatments and do not cure the root cause. The key is still to treat the liver cancer itself, as the symptoms will only alleviate once the cancer is under control. For advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, targeted therapies like sorafenib are available. If it is cholangiocellular carcinoma, and symptoms like vomiting and jaundice appear, which may be obstructive symptoms, then a surgical procedure in hepato-biliary surgery to drain the bile can be performed, which can also alleviate the symptoms of vomiting. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Sun Ming Yue
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How to protect the liver in the late stages of liver cancer

If liver cancer has reached an advanced stage, this indicates that the patient's condition is very serious, and there is no possibility of cure. It is recommended that the patient take some Chinese herbal medicines for liver protection and maintenance. However, the patient must regulate their condition and control the development of the disease through medication under the guidance of a doctor, in order to prolong their life. However, the specific treatment plan should be determined based on the specific condition of each patient, following the guidance of the doctor for treatment.

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Written by Sun Wei
Surgical Oncology
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The difference between primary liver cancer and secondary liver cancer

Primary liver cancer, also commonly referred to as liver cancer, originates in the liver itself and is not transferred from other parts of the body. Secondary liver cancer occurs when the primary tumor originates in another location and then metastasizes to the liver, causing hepatic space-occupying lesions; this is referred to as secondary liver cancer. The main difference between the two types is their origin. Additionally, primary liver cancer is often solitary but may develop intrahepatic or distant metastases as the disease progresses. In cases of secondary liver cancer, multiple intrahepatic metastatic lesions may be discovered at the onset. Moreover, primary liver cancer may often display an elevated alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker, whereas this marker might be normal in secondary liver cancer.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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Does liver palm mean liver cancer?

Liver palm is not liver cancer; it is a clinical symptom caused by the stage of liver cirrhosis in patients. Once liver palm appears, it is important to pay attention and visit the gastroenterology or hepatology department of a standard hospital for a complete liver function test and upper abdominal imaging to confirm the diagnosis of the disease. Depending on the specific diagnosis, appropriate treatment measures should be taken. If liver palm is caused by alcoholic liver disease leading to cirrhosis, active abstinence from alcohol is necessary. If it is caused by viral hepatitis, antiviral treatment is required, along with active liver-protective treatment.

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Written by Yan Chun
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What are the symptoms on the face in the early stages of liver cancer?

In early-stage liver cancer patients, symptoms generally do not appear on their faces. This is because the tumors in early liver cancer are small, the lesions are localized, with shallow infiltration, no invasion of surrounding tissues or metastasis to distant organs, and thus, less damage to liver cells. Therefore, most cases do not show obvious symptoms clinically. Only when the lesions progress further do symptoms of disease dissemination appear in patients. These symptoms include persistent pain in the liver area, a significant decrease in appetite, fatigue, fever, and weight loss. Some patients may also experience symptoms of metastatic lesions, such as pain in bone metastases, headache, vomiting, hemiplegia, and aphasia in brain metastases, and cough, breathing difficulties, and chest pain in lung metastases.