Extreme tiredness (fatigue) is a common side effect of liver cancer and its treatment. Confusion may also occur, but this is a rare side effect.
Fatigue
Many people with secondary liver cancer experience fatigue. This is different to feeling tired as it doesn’t always go away with rest or sleep. The fatigue may be a side effect of treatment or caused by the cancer itself.
For more on this, see Fatigue and cancer or listen to the podcast below.
Confusion
Secondary liver cancer may cause toxic substances to build up in the blood, which can affect brain function. Called hepatic encephalopathy, this can lead to confusion or disorientation and, in severe cases, coma. Hepatic encephalopathy can be controlled with medicines.
→ READ MORE: Living with secondary liver cancer
Podcast: Managing Cancer Fatigue
Listen to more of our podcast for people affected by cancer
More resources
Prof Desmond Yip, Senior Staff Specialist, Department of Medical Oncology, The Canberra Hospital, ACT (clinical update); A/Prof Siddhartha Baxi, Radiation Oncologist and Medical Director, GenesisCare, Gold Coast, QLD; Prof Katherine Clark, Clinical Director of Palliative Care, NSLHD Supportive and Palliative Care Network, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW; Anne Dowling, Hepatoma Clinical Nurse Consultant and Liver Transplant Coordinator, Austin Health, VIC; A/Prof Koroush Haghighi, Liver, Pancreas and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon, Prince of Wales and St Vincent’s Hospitals, NSW; Karen Hall, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Dr Brett Knowles, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and General Surgeon, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and St Vincent’s Hospital, VIC; Lina Sharma, Consumer; A/Prof Simone Strasser, Head of Department and Hepatologist, AW Morrow Gastroenterology and Liver Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The University of Sydney, NSW; David Thomas, Consumer.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
