Nurse, 39, diagnosed with liver cancer after identifying four critical symptoms

A nurse was diagnosed with cancer after spotting four signs (Image: Getty Images)

A "devastated" nurse laid bare the four ominous symptoms that led to her liver cancer diagnosis. Marissa Antonio was only 39 years old when she discovered a 19cm tumour while her child was a mere 19 months old.

She has decided to share her harrowing tale to spotlight the warning signs that nudged her towards medical attention. Meanwhile, Cancer Research UK has sounded the alarm on liver cancer mortality rates doubling over two decades; deaths leapt from 2,200 per year in the late 1990s to a staggering 5,800 today, branding it Britain's most rapidly escalating cancer killer.

Initially attributing symptoms such as right side pain, extreme fatigue, blood in urine, and vomiting to job stress, mum-of-one Marissa faced the truth of her condition during night shifts as a nurse.

Recounting her ordeal to YaleNewHavenHealth , the stalwart survivor expressed: "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."

Her formidable fight included a tumour reduction of 90% owing to chemoembolisation and ultimate removal via surgery in the US, reports SurreyLive.

Unexplained weight loss can be a symtom of liver cancer (Image: Getty Images)

However, Marissa confronted further challenges as her liver cancer – known as hepatocellular carcinoma – recurred, this time manifesting as a growth on her lung.

Marissa, a valiant radiology nurse who has wrestled with the grave threat of cancer, emerged triumphant after her lung collapsed and multiple lesions were removed, which culminated in her remarkable recovery following radiation therapy.

Speaking from a place of personal triumph and deep faith, Marissa uttered, "I feel like God has put me here to be with these patients as they go through a similar journey."

She added, "My faith played a crucial role in my recovery, and helped me through the dark times. I hope that I can be that support for someone else."

The NHS listed some liver cancer symptoms below (Image: Getty Images)

With liver cancer death rates alarmingly high in the UK, Pamela Healy, the Chief executive of the British Liver Trust, warns, "These stark figures highlight the urgent need for action to address the rising toll of liver cancer deaths."

Healy presses the point that liver cancer, often linked to an underlying condition, is usually preventable, yet its diagnosis spells a grim future as only 13% survive beyond five years.

Marissa surmised that her mother harboured Hepatitis B, a notorious catalyst for liver cancer. The NHS cautions that although liver cancer symptoms might not always be apparent or distinguishable, there are notable signs to heed.

Signs to look out for include: 

• the whites of your eyes turning yellow or your skin turning yellow, which may be less obvious on brown or black skin (jaundice) – you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual

• loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to

• feeling tired or having no energy

• feeling generally unwell or having symptoms like flu

• a lump in the right side of your tummy

• feeling or being sick

• pain at the top right side of your tummy or in your right shoulder

• symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling full very quickly when eating

• a very swollen tummy that is not related to when you eat