Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Right-sided abdominal pain: the full list of causes | CION Cancer Clinics
Most pain under the right ribs comes from the gallbladder, the stomach, a muscle or the kidney, not from liver cancer. Early liver cancer often causes no pain at all. This page lists every common and uncommon cause by organ, explains what each kind of pain tends to mean, and tells you which signs need a doctor this week and which need a hospital today. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team goes through your scan, blood test and biopsy reports with you and plans the next step.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
4.8★ / 800+Google rating
On this page
- What usually causes pain on the upper right side of the abdomen?
- Which conditions cause right-sided abdominal pain?
- What will the doctor do to find the cause?
- What does the type of pain suggest?
- What do families often get wrong about this pain?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about right-sided abdominal pain
The short answer
What usually causes pain on the upper right side of the abdomen?
Most pain under the right ribs comes from the gallbladder, the stomach, a strained muscle or the kidney. Liver cancer is one of the less common causes, and early liver cancer often causes no pain at all.
Why so many organs share one spot
The upper right abdomen is crowded. The liver, gallbladder, the first part of the small bowel, the right kidney, the top of the large bowel and the base of the right lung all sit within a hand's width of each other. Pain from any of them can feel the same to you. Doctors sort them out by what the pain does: when it comes, how long it lasts, what eases it and what comes with it.
The confusion runs both ways
Harmless causes are often feared as cancer. The opposite also happens. A liver tumour can be treated for a long time as acidity or gallstones, and in India liver tuberculosis and an amoebic abscess can be mistaken for a tumour, or a tumour for them. Either mistake can cost months. That is why a pain that keeps coming back deserves a scan, not just another strip of antacids.
A pain is a reason to be examined. It is not, on its own, a diagnosis.The full list
Which conditions cause right-sided abdominal pain?
Grouped by where the pain comes from. The common ones are at the top of each group.
Gallbladder and bile ducts
The single commonest source of pain in this spot.
- Gallstones and biliary colic, often after an oily meal
- An inflamed gallbladder, with fever and constant pain
- A stone blocking the bile duct, with jaundice
- Rarely, gallbladder or bile duct cancer
Liver
The liver itself has few pain nerves. Pain comes when its outer covering is stretched.
- Hepatitis from a virus, alcohol or a medicine
- A fatty, swollen liver
- An amoebic or pus-filled liver abscess, with fever
- Liver tuberculosis
- A congested liver from heart failure
- Less often, a tumour, primary or spread from elsewhere
Stomach, bowel and pancreas
- Acidity, gastritis or an ulcer
- Trapped gas and constipation
- Appendicitis, which usually settles lower down
- Pancreatitis, often spreading to the back
- Rarely, a stomach, bowel or pancreatic tumour
Kidney, chest and muscles
- A kidney stone or kidney infection, felt towards the back
- Pneumonia or fluid at the base of the right lung
- A pulled muscle, a cracked rib or shingles
- In women, pregnancy-related causes
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologist
!
When this cannot wait
Go to hospital today if the pain is severe and constant, if it comes with a high fever and shivering, if your eyes or skin turn yellow suddenly with fever, if you vomit blood or pass black stools, or if the person becomes confused or very drowsy. See a doctor this week if the pain keeps returning, or comes with weight loss you cannot explain, loss of appetite, swelling of the abdomen or a lump under the ribs. If you already have cirrhosis or hepatitis B, any new pain here is a reason to be seen this week.
At the clinic
What will the doctor do to find the cause?
-
Ask what the pain does
When it started, whether it comes in waves or stays, what brings it on, and whether it spreads to the back or the right shoulder. Bring an honest account of alcohol, medicines and any herbal tonics. Nobody is there to judge you.
-
Examine the abdomen
The doctor feels for tenderness, an enlarged liver, fluid and jaundice. Pressing under the ribs while you breathe in is a quick check for the gallbladder.
-
Blood tests
Liver function tests, a blood count and sometimes kidney tests, pancreas enzymes and hepatitis B and C screening. These point towards an organ rather than give an answer.
-
An ultrasound first
An abdominal ultrasound is quick and shows gallstones, a fatty liver, an abscess and most liver lumps. See what a liver ultrasound can and cannot show.
-
A CT or MRI if the ultrasound finds a lump
A contrast CT or MRI tells a tumour from an abscess, a cyst or tuberculosis more reliably. A needle sample is sometimes needed when the scans still disagree.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Reading the pattern
What does the type of pain suggest?
What you notice
What it often points to
Waves of pain after a heavy or oily meal, easing within hours
Gallstones
Burning high in the middle, better or worse with food
Acidity, gastritis or an ulcer
Pain with fever, sweats and a tender liver
A liver abscess or an inflamed gallbladder
Sharp pain in the back or side moving towards the groin
A kidney stone
Pain worse on a deep breath or cough
The lung, the ribs or the liver's outer covering
A dull, steady ache with weight loss and poor appetite
Needs a scan: a liver problem, including a tumour, is possible
Commonly believed
What do families often get wrong about this pain?
"Liver cancer always starts with pain on the right side."
Early liver cancer usually causes no pain at all. That is why people with cirrhosis or hepatitis B are offered regular scans even when they feel well. When a tumour does hurt, it has usually grown large enough to stretch the liver's covering.
"No pain means the liver is fine."
Cirrhosis, fatty liver and hepatitis B can all do damage quietly for a long time. Blood tests and an ultrasound tell you far more than the absence of pain does.
"It is only gas. A strong antacid will settle it."
Often it is gas or acidity. But a pain that keeps returning after a long course of antacids has not been explained, and should be scanned rather than treated again without a diagnosis.
"A lump on the scan with fever must be cancer."
Fever with a liver lump more often means an abscess or, in India, tuberculosis. Both are treatable infections. Both can also be confused with a tumour, which is why the scan and sometimes a sample decide it, not the symptoms. Read more on telling an abscess from a tumour.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what is causing your pain. The list above is long because the same pain can come from many places, and only an examination, blood tests and a scan can narrow it down. Matching your symptoms to a list online tends to make the frightening options feel more likely than they are.
It cannot read your scan or report
If you already have a report that mentions a lesion, a mass or a space-occupying lesion, start with what a spot on the liver can mean and take the report to a doctor. Do not skip a follow-up scan you were advised to have because the pain has eased.
Who this does not apply to
Children with abdominal pain need a paediatrician, and a different set of causes applies. Pregnant women with pain under the right ribs need their obstetrician the same day. If you already have a cancer diagnosis, new pain belongs with your own treating team.
If you are unsure who to see, call the helpline. Someone will help you decide which test or doctor to start with.Questions we are asked
Common questions about right-sided abdominal pain
Is pain under the right ribs a sign of liver cancer?
Usually not. Gallstones, acidity, a strained muscle and kidney problems are far more common causes. Liver cancer is possible, especially in someone with cirrhosis or hepatitis B, which is why a pain that keeps returning should be checked with an ultrasound rather than guessed at.
Can gas cause pain on the right side?
Yes. Trapped gas in the bend of the large bowel under the liver can cause sharp, shifting pain that eases after passing wind or a bowel movement. Gas pain that keeps coming back, or comes with weight loss or poor appetite, still deserves a doctor's examination.
Why does liver pain spread to the right shoulder?
The liver and gallbladder sit under the diaphragm, which shares nerve pathways with the shoulder. Irritation there can be felt in the right shoulder or shoulder blade. Gallstones are the commonest reason. Read more about right shoulder blade pain.
Which test should I ask for first?
Let the doctor examine you first. In most cases the first steps are liver function tests, a blood count and an abdominal ultrasound. A CT or MRI follows only if the ultrasound finds something that needs a closer look. Starting with a costly scan is rarely the right order.
Can liver TB or an amoebic abscess look like cancer?
Yes, and both are seen often in India. On an ultrasound they can look like a tumour, and a tumour can look like them. A contrast scan, blood tests and sometimes a needle sample settle it. Getting this right early avoids months of the wrong treatment.
I have cirrhosis. Should new pain worry me more?
It deserves faster attention. People with cirrhosis have a higher chance of liver cancer and of other liver problems. Tell your doctor this week and ask whether your next surveillance scan should be brought forward. Do not wait for the routine date.
Can a fatty liver cause pain?
It can cause a dull ache or heaviness when the liver is enlarged, though many people feel nothing. Fatty liver is very common and is not cancer. Over many years it can lead to scarring, so it is worth managing even when it is painless.
Where can I get this checked in Hyderabad?
Start with your family doctor or a physician. If a scan shows a liver lump, a CION oncologist can review the report and arrange any further scans through partner diagnostic centres. One helpline serves every CION centre and can tell you where to begin.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Patient stories
Hear it from people we have treated
Every story is a video, in the patient's own words. Nothing here is a written testimonial.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. One helpline books a consultation at any of these centres, and your team will tell you where each test and operation takes place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- NHS — Gallstones
- MedlinePlus — Amebic liver abscess
- NHS — Symptoms of liver cancer
- RadiologyInfo.org (RSNA/ACR) — Abdominal Ultrasound Exam
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Pain in the upper right side of the abdomenWhen the pain is coming from the liver itselfIs it liver cancer or gallstones?The commonest mix-up, side by sideWhy liver TB and liver cancer look alike on a scanAn Indian mimic that can cost monthsConditions commonly mistaken for liver cancerThe full set of mimics in one place
Talk to us
Worried about a pain that keeps coming back?
Tell us about the pain and any scan or blood test you already have. We will help you work out which test or doctor to start with. One helpline serves every CION centre.