Liver failure due to cancer

The liver performs many jobs, including processing medicines, making proteins, handling nutrients, and helping clear waste. A tumour may reduce working liver tissue, obstruct bile drainage, or interfere with blood flow. Cancer can begin in the liver or spread there from another organ. Liver tests can show injury or reduced function, but results need to be interpreted alongside symptoms, scans, medical history, and the medicines being used.

Possible changes include yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, abdominal swelling, easy bruising, nausea, itching, or confusion. These findings can have causes other than cancer, and they should not be used to determine the diagnosis without assessment.

The team may review scans, blood tests, nutrition, medicines, and how well the liver is working before recommending a plan. Depending on the tumour and remaining liver function, options can include liver resection, tumour ablation, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, symptom treatment, or a combination. Some treatments may need changing when liver function is reduced. Bring a complete list of prescribed medicines, supplements, and traditional remedies to each visit.

Get urgent medical help for new confusion, extreme sleepiness, vomiting blood, black stools, fever with abdominal pain, rapidly increasing swelling, or breathing difficulty. These can indicate infection, bleeding, fluid pressure, or worsening liver function. Emergency services are appropriate if someone is difficult to wake, collapses, or cannot breathe comfortably.

Ask which part of liver function is affected, whether the cancer is blocking a duct or blood vessel, how treatment choices fit your liver tests, and which symptoms require a same-day call.