A cancer doctor is urging people not to dismiss a pecular pain in their right shoulderwhich could be an early warning sign of liver cancer. This pain can come and go but often occurs only in the shoulder, while your arm feels perfectly normal.

It can be easy to dismiss this symptom as the result of exercise, strain or bad posture. But Dr Jiri Kubes, a radiation oncologist and medical director at the Proton Therapy Centerin Prague, warned: “The challenge with liver cancer is that symptoms can be very subtle at first, which is why people often ignore them or put them down to something harmless.”

He explained: “Liver cancer can sometimes cause what we call referred or phantom pain, where discomfort is felt in the shoulder rather than the abdomen. This happens because the liver sits close to nerves that connect to the shoulder, so irritation can be felt elsewhere in the body.”

Around 6,000 people are diagnosed with this cancer each year in the UK and the number of people dying from liver cancer is the fastest rising figure of all the 20 month common types of cancer according to the British Liver Trust and Liver Cancer UK.

The charity notes that only three in 10 cases of liver cancer are diagnosed in early stages. Many people dismiss some of the earliest symptoms of liver cancer due to its vague nature.

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According to the NHS, some of the common symptoms can include:

• Jaundice


• Loss of appetite


• Losing weight without trying to


• Feeling tired


• Feeling generally unwell or having flu-like symptoms


• Having a lump on the right side of your tummy


• Pain at the top right side of your tummy


• Pain in your right shoulder


• Indigestion symptoms


• Swollen tummy not caused eating


• Feeling or being sick

Jaundice can be a sign that something is wrong with your liver. It causes the skin and whites of your eyes to turn yellow due to a buildup of bilirubin. It’s common in newborns and can resolve on its own but in adults it requires quick medical treatment.

The NHS advises anyone who has noticed a lump in your tummy, that you’ve lost a lot of weight without trying or you’re experiencing symptoms of liver cancer that get worse or do not get better after 2 weeks to speak to their GP.

It notes: “Many of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by different conditions. Having them does not definitely mean you have liver cancer. But it's important to get them checked by a GP. This is because if they're caused by cancer, finding it early may mean it's easier to treat.”

A number of lifestyle issues can increase your risk of liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer. This includes being infected with a hepatitis virus, drinking alcohol, being overweight and having type 2 diabetes.