Is the right shoulder pain from liver cancer persistent?

Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
Updated on May 11, 2025
00:00
00:00

For patients with liver cancer, if there is pain in the right shoulder, it is not necessarily continuous, which depends on the specific cause of the right shoulder pain. If the pain is caused by bone metastasis of liver cancer to the right shoulder, the pain is often severe and persistent. Bone is one of the more common sites of metastasis for liver cancer. For bone metastases of liver cancer, we can use imaging studies to detect clear bone destruction at the metastatic sites on X-rays, CT scans, and MRI. If the right shoulder pain in liver cancer patients is caused by other benign conditions, the pain may not necessarily be persistent. For instance, liver cancer patients may also experience shoulder pain due to other conditions such as rotator cuff injuries, periarthritis, or minor trauma, but this pain is not necessarily continuous.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
54sec home-news-image

What changes occur in the hair during the early stages of liver cancer?

Liver cancer is a common type of tumor in the digestive system in China, and patients with early-stage liver cancer generally do not experience significant changes in their hair. This is because the tumors in early-stage liver cancer patients are relatively small, and the treatment often involves surgical removal, which does not require chemotherapy or other anti-tumor treatments, so the impact on the patient's hair is minimal. As the disease progresses, some patients may need to undergo chemotherapy or other anti-tumor treatments, which can lead to hair loss or changes in hair color. However, hair changes after chemotherapy in liver cancer patients are generally reversible, and hair can regrow after the end of chemotherapy. Changes in hair color, on the other hand, are generally caused by pigment deposition induced by some chemotherapy drugs.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
42sec home-news-image

How is liver cancer diagnosed?

In clinical practice, if a patient has a history of chronic hepatitis B and imaging tests, such as an enhanced CT or MRI of the liver, suggest a radiological appearance of liver cancer, combined with an AFP level greater than 400 persisting for four weeks, these conditions can support a clinical diagnosis of liver cancer. However, for a confirmed diagnosis, a liver biopsy guided by ultrasound or CT must be performed. The definitive diagnosis of liver cancer relies on identifying cancer cells through pathological examination.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
1min 10sec home-news-image

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.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
1min 14sec home-news-image

Why can't people with liver cancer drink milk?

Liver cancer patients are generally advised not to drink milk, particularly in cases of advanced liver cancer where there is a potential for hepatic encephalopathy. This is because, for patients in the late stages of liver cancer, liver function is compromised, and some may already exhibit symptoms indicative of pre-hepatic encephalopathy. Consuming a diet rich in protein can easily trigger hepatic encephalopathy, and since milk is high in protein, its consumption is usually limited or avoided in such patients. However, for the majority of liver cancer patients, drinking milk is permissible as it not only contains abundant protein but also rich calcium, which is beneficial for the recovery of liver cancer patients. Most liver cancer patients have hypoalbuminemia (low levels of protein in the blood) and some also have hypocalcemia (low levels of calcium in the blood), thus the intake of calcium and protein-rich foods can be very beneficial for their recovery.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
41sec home-news-image

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.