Warning as silent killer with no signs is 'biggest risk factor' for liver cancer

Detecting the condition early is vital for survival say experts who have told there are many different types of liver disease

Medical experts have issued a warning about a silent killer that is one of the biggest health risks for liver cancer.

Liver disease is described as the "the biggest risk factor for developing liver cancer".

But one health chief has said liver disease is "a silent killer that usually has no symptoms”.

Pamela Healy, chief executive of the British Liver Trust says detecting the condition early is vital for survival.

The are "many different types of liver disease" according to the NHS.

But The Express reports you can prevent some of them by keeping a healthy weight and adhering to recommended alcohol limits.

The bad news, however, is that they can lay the harmful groundwork for liver cancer.

According to the health service, around 6,200 people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year, with this number set to rise even higher.

Healy said quicker treatment through early detection can mean better chance of survival.

The NHS has launched a major drive to catch more cases early using“roaming liver trucks” to test high-risk groups for liver disease across the country.

They have so far performed more than 26,500 hi-tech fibroscans and identified 2,204 people with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis between June 2022 and September 2023.

Fibrosis describes any degree of scarring in the liver, while cirrhosis refers to the most severe and extensive pattern of scarring.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS clinical director for cancer, said: “We are seeing liver cancers increasing year on year, but finding them early gives the best chance of successful treatment, which is why we have set up this initiative that is having such a positive impact and making it easier for people who are at a higher risk of liver cancer or other organ damage to get life-saving checks.

“Bringing liver scans into the heart of communities has already helped us find thousands of people with liver damage that needs further monitoring, investigation, or treatment; and in the future, we expect to help tens of thousands more patients receive a diagnosis sooner.

“Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and when more people are referred for tests, which is why the NHS has put so much effort into early diagnosis in recent years, as well as increasing access to testing.”

The health service says liver cancer symptoms can include: unexpected weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting blood and pain or swelling of the abdomen.

The NHS says anyone with symptoms should contact their GP “straight away”.