Cancer is a group of many related diseases. All cancers begin in cells
, the body's basic unit of life. Cells make up tissues, and tissues make up the organs of the body.
Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old and die, new cells take their place. Sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor
Tumors can be benign or malignant.
Benign tumors are not cancer.
Usually, doctors can remove them. Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body. In most cases, benign tumors do not come back after they are removed. Most important, benign tumors are rarely a threat to life.
Malignant tumors are cancer.
They are generally more serious. Cancer cells can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Also, cancer cells can break away from a malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system. That is how cancer cells spread from the original (primary
) tumor to form new tumors in other organs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis
Primary liver cancer is cancer that forms in the tissues of the liver. The liver, one of the largest organs in the human body, is located on the right side of the abdomen and is protected by the rib cage. The liver has three important functions: it filters and removes waste and toxins from the blood; it makes bile which breaks down fats in the digestive process; and it stores energy in the form of glycogen, a type of sugar.
Although many cancers are declining in the United States, new cases of primary liver cancer are increasing. Still, primary liver cancer is relatively uncommon with 21,370 new cases diagnosed in 2008.
Secondary liver cancer is very different from primary liver cancer. This cancer begins in another part of the body and then spreads to the liver. Its treatment is unique for each patient.
In the U.S., cancer affecting the liver is most commonly secondary cancer, and it most often spreads from colon, lung, and breast cancers. When this happens, the disease is not liver cancer. It is named for the organ where it began, and the cancer in the liver is secondary.
Primary liver cancer is rarely diagnosed early, and it often doesn’t respond to current treatments, making the prognosis poor. Treatments can help pain and other symptoms of liver cancer and improve quality of life. The following information is about primary liver cancer. Chances of developing primary liver cancer can be greatly reduced by protection from hepatitis and cirrhosis, which are the leading causes of the disease.