Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Why does liver cancer cause jaundice, and what can be done? | CION Cancer Clinics
Jaundice in liver cancer happens when bilirubin, a yellow pigment, builds up in the blood. Either a tumour is blocking the bile from draining, or the liver has too little healthy tissue left to clear it. A blockage can often be relieved with a stent or drain. This page explains both causes, the tests that tell them apart, why the itching can be treated, and when yellowing means going to hospital today. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team supports patients and families through symptoms, follow-up and life during and after treatment.
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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
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On this page
- Why does liver cancer turn the eyes and skin yellow?
- What is blocking the bile, or stopping the liver clearing it?
- What will the doctor do to find out why I am yellow?
- What do the words on a jaundice report mean?
- What do families believe about jaundice, and what is true?
- What can this page not tell you about your jaundice?
- Common questions about jaundice in liver cancer
The short answer
Why does liver cancer turn the eyes and skin yellow?
Jaundice happens when a yellow pigment called bilirubin builds up in the blood. In liver cancer it usually builds up for one of two reasons: the bile cannot drain out of the liver, or the liver itself can no longer clear it. Which of these is happening decides almost everything about what can be done next.
Where the yellow comes from
Your body breaks down old red blood cells every day. The leftover pigment travels to the liver, which packs it into bile. Bile flows down the bile ducts into the gut and leaves in the stool, which is why stool is brown. If that flow stops anywhere along the way, the pigment backs up into the blood and shows first in the whites of the eyes.
This page covers both kinds of liver cancer
Cancer that started in the liver, cancer of the bile ducts, and cancer that spread to the liver from elsewhere can all cause jaundice. If your cancer began in the bowel, breast or pancreas, the page on whether liver metastases cause jaundice will suit you better.
Jaundice is a sign that needs explaining, not a verdict. Several of its causes can be relieved.The usual causes
What is blocking the bile, or stopping the liver clearing it?
Doctors sort jaundice into a blockage problem or a liver function problem. The two are treated very differently.
A tumour pressing on a bile duct
A tumour near the centre of the liver, or swollen lymph glands around it, can squeeze a main bile duct shut. The liver still works, but its bile has nowhere to go.
This kind can often be relieved with a stent or a drain.Cancer growing inside the bile duct
Bile duct cancer, called cholangiocarcinoma, narrows the duct from the inside. Jaundice without pain is often the first sign people notice.
Too little working liver left
When cirrhosis and a large tumour together leave too little healthy liver, the liver cannot process bilirubin properly. No duct is blocked, so a stent does not help.
Often comes with
- Fluid in the belly, called ascites
- Swollen ankles and tiredness
- Easy bruising or drowsiness
Causes that are not the cancer
A gallstone, a flare of hepatitis B, an infection, or a reaction to a medicine or a herbal tonic can all cause jaundice in someone who has liver cancer. These are checked for first, because many are treatable.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologist
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When jaundice cannot wait until the next appointment
Go to hospital today if yellow eyes or skin come with fever, shivering or pain in the upper right side of the belly. That can mean infected bile behind a blockage, which needs treatment within hours. Go today too if jaundice comes with new confusion, unusual sleepiness, vomiting blood or black stools. If you already have a stent and the yellow comes back with a fever, the stent may be blocked. Do not wait for the morning.
Finding the cause
What will the doctor do to find out why I am yellow?
Blood tests
A liver panel shows how high the bilirubin is and which pattern it follows. A blockage pattern and a liver failure pattern look different on the report, and your doctor reads them together.
An ultrasound first
An ultrasound shows whether the bile ducts are widened. Widened ducts point to a blockage further down. CION arranges this through its diagnostic partners.
A detailed scan of the ducts
An MRI that maps the bile ducts, called MRCP, shows exactly where the narrowing sits. The MRCP and ERCP page explains these tests.
A team decision on relief
The tumour board reviews the scans and decides whether a stent or a drain could help. If it could, CION coordinates it through accredited partner hospitals. Stenting or drainage is explained on its own page.
On your report
What do the words on a jaundice report mean?
- Bilirubin
- The yellow pigment itself. Your report gives a total figure, and your doctor watches whether it is rising or falling.
- Direct and indirect bilirubin
- Two forms of the pigment. Which one is high helps tell a blockage from other causes.
- ALP and GGT
- Enzymes that rise when bile is not draining. A high reading points towards a blockage.
- Cholestasis
- The medical word for bile not flowing properly. It is also the reason for the itching many people feel.
- Obstructive jaundice
- Jaundice caused by a physical blockage in a bile duct, rather than by the liver failing.
- Stent
- A small tube placed inside the narrowed duct to hold it open so bile can drain into the gut again.
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Commonly believed
What do families believe about jaundice, and what is true?
"Nothing can be done about the itching. You just have to bear it."
This is one of the most common things patients are told, and it is wrong. Relieving a blockage often eases the itch, and several medicines and skin care steps help. The page on itching and what actually helps goes through them.
"Jaundice means the cancer has reached the end."
Not always. Jaundice from a blocked duct can often be relieved, and treatment may then go ahead. Jaundice from a failing liver is more serious, which is why finding the cause matters so much.
"Stop all oil, ghee and protein until the yellow goes."
Strict diets weaken people who already find it hard to eat. Most people with liver cancer need enough protein. Ask your team before cutting any food group.
"A herbal jaundice remedy will clear it faster."
Some herbal liver products can injure the liver, and the danger is greatest when the liver is already damaged. Tell your doctor anything you are taking. Nobody will judge you for it.
Being straight with you
What can this page not tell you about your jaundice?
It cannot tell you which cause is behind your jaundice, or whether it can be reversed. That depends on your blood results, your scans and how well the rest of your liver is working. Your oncologist and the tumour board answer that question, often with a hepatologist, a liver specialist, alongside.
Who this does not apply to
If you have yellow eyes but no cancer diagnosis, most jaundice has other causes, such as hepatitis or gallstones. The page on jaundice that is not cancer is the better place to start, and you should still see a doctor this week. Newborn babies with jaundice are a separate subject altogether.
It cannot read your report
A single bilirubin reading means little on its own. The direction it is moving, and the pattern alongside it, matter more. Bring your reports to an appointment rather than comparing numbers online.
If you are unsure whether a change in colour needs a doctor today, call the helpline and describe it.Questions we are asked
Common questions about jaundice in liver cancer
Is jaundice always a sign that liver cancer is advanced?
No. A small tumour in the wrong place can block a main bile duct early on, while a large tumour elsewhere may cause no jaundice. Bile duct cancer often shows jaundice first. What the jaundice means depends on its cause, which your team works out from scans and blood tests.
Why is my urine dark and my stool pale?
When bile cannot reach the gut, the pigment that colours stool brown is missing, so stool turns pale. The pigment leaves through the kidneys instead, which makes urine dark. Together these point to a blockage, and they are worth reporting to your doctor this week.
Why does jaundice make me itch so much?
When bile backs up, substances from it build up in the skin and trigger the itch. It is often worse at night and on the palms and soles. It is real, it is exhausting, and it is treatable. Ask your team about it at every visit rather than putting up with it.
Can a stent make the yellow go away?
If the jaundice comes from a blocked duct, a stent or drain often brings the bilirubin down gradually and eases the itch. If the jaundice comes from a liver that is failing, a stent does not help, because nothing is blocked. Your team will tell you which kind you have.
Why has my treatment been put on hold?
Many cancer medicines are cleared by the liver. Giving them while bile is not draining can cause serious harm, so treatment often waits until the bilirubin settles. The page on why treatment waits explains this in more detail.
Can cancer treatment itself cause jaundice?
Sometimes. Some medicines, immunotherapy among them, can inflame the liver, and procedures on the liver can briefly raise bilirubin. Any new yellowing during treatment should be reported the same day, because the plan may need to change.
Is jaundice in liver cancer catching?
The jaundice itself is not. If the person also has hepatitis B or C, those viruses can pass through blood and some other body fluids, but not through sharing food or a home. Family members can be tested for hepatitis B and vaccinated if they are not protected.
How can CION help if my relative has turned yellow?
Our oncologists review the reports, arrange the right scans through diagnostic partners, and bring the case to the tumour board. If a stent or drain is needed, CION coordinates it with accredited partner hospitals. Call the helpline and someone will tell you how quickly to come in.
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
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Sources
- NHS — Jaundice
- MedlinePlus — Jaundice
- Merck Manual Consumer Version — Jaundice in Adults
- American Cancer Society — Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer
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
Blockage jaundice vs liver-failure jaundiceThe two causes side by side, and why the difference mattersStenting or drainage to relieve jaundiceWhat happens if a blocked duct can be openedItching from jaundice and what actually helpsThe itch can be treated; here is howCan jaundice be reversed?An honest look at when the yellow goes away
Talk to us
Has your relative turned yellow and you are not sure how urgent it is?
Tell us what the reports show and how the person is feeling. We will help you understand the likely cause and arrange the next step quickly. One helpline serves every CION centre.