What causes abdominal bloating in liver cancer?

seage · Regular Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Posts: 20

Hi guys,

Have seen pics of liver cancer patients with hugely enlarged abdomens and have read postings describing patients with the same thing.

What causes the bloating? Is it ascites? Or perhaps a large tumor? Any other causes?

I myself have no ascites (according to my CT scans) but i do have a mildly bloated abdomen which is causing me lots of problems. On examination, it just seems i have lots of abdominal gas but it seems abnormal.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

Thanks.

- seage

Irish Daisy · New User Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 5

Hi Seage

My father suffered this and the info I found ONLINE at the time:

Swelling of the abdomen can happen in liver cancer for 2 reasons. The liver itself can get bigger from the growing cancer. This can cause swelling over the right side of your abdomen. Or you can have generalized swelling of the abdomen caused by a build up of fluid. This is called ascites.

The fluid builds up because the liver is congested. This squeezes the blood vessels inside the liver and the blood that normally flows through it gets backed up in the veins. The pressure in these veins increases and forces fluid to leak from the veins into the abdomen. If the liver is not able to make blood proteins as it should, fluid also tends to leak out of the veins and into the abdominal cavity.

Sorry i didn't keep a note of the website

I do hope this is of some help

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