Nurse shares harrowing journey with liver cancer including the four 'red flag' symptoms that led to diagnosis

Marissa Antonio was conscionable 39 erstwhile the 19cm tumour was discovered - and now, Cancer Research UK has revealed liver crab decease rates person doubled successful the past 20 years

A nurse, near "devastated" by her diagnosis, has bravely travel guardant to stock the 4 informing signs that led to the find of her liver cancer. Marissa Antonio was lone 39 erstwhile doctors recovered a 19cm tumour, astatine a clip erstwhile her girl was conscionable 19 months old.

She's present speaking retired to item the symptoms that made her question aesculapian advice. Shockingly, Cancer Research UK has reported that liver crab decease rates person soared successful the past 2 decades.

Back successful the precocious 1990s, astir 2,200 radical died from it each year, but present that fig has jumped to 5,800, making it Britain's fastest rising crab killer.

Marissa, who was moving nighttime shifts arsenic a nurse, initially enactment her symptoms down to exhaustion. The troubling signs included right-side pain, antithetic tiredness, humor successful her urine, and an inability to support nutrient down.

In a heartfelt interrogation with YaleNewHavenHealth she expressed her anguish: "My hubby and I had been trying to conceive for astir 5 years, and our girl yet was present and I was excessively sick to instrumentality attraction of her.", reports Surrey Live.

"It was 2 years earlier I felt good capable to bash so. I americium truthful thankful to my hubby and my begetter for stepping up to attraction for her erstwhile I could not."

Her conflict continued adjacent aft her tumour was reduced by 90% done chemo-embolisation and yet removed via country successful the US. However, Marissa faced further challenges erstwhile her liver cancer, known arsenic hepatocellular carcinoma, recurred with a caller maturation connected her lung.

Marissa, a radiology caregiver who faced her ain conflict with cancer, shared her inspiring story: "I consciousness similar God has enactment maine present to beryllium with these patients arsenic they spell done a akin journey."

She continued, "My religion played a important relation successful my recovery, and helped maine done the acheronian times. I anticipation that I tin beryllium that enactment for idiosyncratic else."

After overcoming a collapsed lung and aggregate growths, Marissa's tumour was yet deemed harmless pursuing radiation therapy.

Pamela Healy, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust, warned of the alarming mortality rates, stating: "These stark figures item the urgent request for enactment to code the rising toll of liver crab deaths."

She added, "Liver crab is often preventable, with the bulk of cases linked to an underlying liver condition. It is simply a devastating diagnosis with sadly lone 13% of radical surviving for 5 years."

Marissa besides suspected that her parent mightiness person carried Hepatitis B, which is simply a known origin of liver cancer. The NHS cautions that symptoms of liver crab whitethorn not ever beryllium apparent, but it does supply a database of imaginable signs to ticker retired for.

Key informing signs include:

• the whites of your eyes turning yellowish oregon your tegument turning yellow, which whitethorn beryllium little evident connected brownish oregon achromatic tegument (jaundice) – you whitethorn besides person itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual

• loss of appetite oregon losing value without trying to

• feeling bushed oregon having nary energy

• feeling mostly unwell oregon having symptoms similar flu

• a lump successful the close broadside of your tummy

• feeling oregon being sick

• pain astatine the apical close broadside of your tummy oregon successful your close shoulder

• symptoms of indigestion, specified arsenic feeling afloat precise rapidly erstwhile eating

• a precise swollen tummy that is not related to erstwhile you eat