A nurse was left “devastated” after four key symptoms led to her liver cancer diagnosis.
At just 39, Marissa Antonio discovered a 19cm tumour while her daughter was only 19 months old.
Marissa courageously came forward with her story to raise awareness of the warning signs that encouraged her to seek medical attention. Cancer Research UK has since announced that the mortality rates from liver cancer have tragically doubled over the past two decades.
In the late 1990s, there were around 2,200 deaths each year, but this number has sadly increased to 5,800, marking it as the fastest-increasing cause of cancer death in the nation.
Whilst balancing night shifts as a nurse, Marissa began experiencing symptoms which she initially attributed to exhaustion. These symptoms included right-side pain, unusual tiredness, blood in her urine, and difficulty retaining food.
Sharing her ordeal with YaleNewHavenHealth, Marissa reflected: “My husband and I had been trying to conceive for almost five years, and our daughter finally was here and I was too sick to take care of her.
“It was two years before I felt well enough to do so. I am so thankful to my husband and my father for stepping up to care for her when I could not.”
Marissa underwent a chemoembolisation procedure which reduced her tumour by 90%, followed by successful surgery in the US to remove it entirely. However, she later faced further challenges when hepatocellular carcinoma – a type of liver cancer – recurred with a new growth on her lung.
After experiencing a collapsed lung and undergoing the removal of two benign lesions, Marissa suffered further hardship as more growths were discovered. With surgery no longer an option, radiation therapy became her path to remission.
Now a radiology nurse, Marissa reflects on her experience: “I feel like God has put me here to be with these patients as they go through a similar journey.”
She credits her faith for not only carrying her through the direst moments but also empowering her to support others in their battles.
Despite the grim liver cancer mortality rates across the UK, there’s a beacon of hope as the British Liver Trust has pointed out that healthier living could potentially prevent half of liver tumours.
Chief executive Pamela Healy urgently calls for action, stating: “These stark figures highlight the urgent need for action to address the rising toll of liver cancer deaths.
“Liver cancer is often preventable, with the majority of cases linked to an underlying liver condition. It is a devastating diagnosis with sadly only 13% of people surviving for five years.”
Suspecting that her mother might have been a carrier of Hepatitis B—a contributing factor to liver cancer—Marissa’s own challenges are intertwined with an awareness she hopes to share.
While liver cancer symptoms may go unnoticed or be hard to identify according to the NHS, being vigilant can lead to earlier detection and better outcomes.
If you notice the whites of your eyes or your skin turning yellow – a condition known as jaundice, which may be less noticeable on darker skin tones – it could be a sign of something serious.
Other symptoms to look out for include loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, general malaise, flu-like symptoms, a lump in the right side of your abdomen, nausea or vomiting, pain in the upper right side of your abdomen or in your right shoulder, indigestion symptoms such as feeling full quickly after eating, and an unusually swollen abdomen unrelated to eating.