What types of liver cancer are there?
Some cancers begin in the cells of the liver itself – these are called primary liver cancer. More commonly, cancers start in cells in other organs of the body but then spread to the liver – this is called secondary liver cancer. Your doctor may use the term ‘liver metastasis’ (which is another way of saying that cancer has spread to the liver). It is possible for there to be several cancer deposits (metastases) in the liver. There is more than one sort of primary liver cancer. One such type starts within the cells which make up most of the liver tissue – this is known as a hepatoma, or sometimes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC for short). Another type begins in the cells which line the tubes (or ducts) that carry the bile out of the liver – this bile duct cancer is known as a cholangiocarcinoma. Hepatomas usually occur in people who have an underlying liver disease, such as scarring of the liver (also known as cirrhosis) and can be a long-term result of chronic hepatitis. There is no ass
