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Stages of Adult Primary Liver Cancer
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After adult primary liver cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the liver or to other parts of the body.
The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the liver or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging
process:
- Chest x-ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.
- CT scan (CAT
scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography,
computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
- MRI (magnetic
resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
- Bone scan: A procedure to check if there are rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, in the bone. A very small amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein and travels through the bloodstream. The radioactive material collects in the bones and is detected by a scanner.
- Doppler ultrasound: A type of ultrasound that uses differences in the ultrasound echoes to measure the speed and direction of blood flow.
There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
The three ways that cancer spreads in the body are:
- Through tissue. Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissue.
- Through the lymph system. Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body.
- Through the blood. Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.
When cancer cells break away from the primary (original) tumor and travel through the lymph or blood to other places in the body, another (secondary) tumor may form. This process is called metastasis. The secondary (metastatic) tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is metastatic breast cancer, not bone cancer.
The following stages are used for adult primary liver cancer:
Stage I
In stage I, there is one tumor and it has not spread to nearby blood vessels.
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| Pea, peanut, walnut, and lime show tumor sizes. |
Stage II
In stage II, one of the following is found:
Stage III
Stage III is divided into Stage IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC.
Stage IV
In stage IV, cancer has spread beyond the liver to other places in the body, such as the bones or lungs. The tumors may be of any size and may also have spread to nearby blood vessels and/or lymph nodes.
For adult primary liver cancer, stages are also grouped according to how the cancer may be treated. There are 3 treatment groups:
Localized resectable
The cancer is found in the liver only, has not spread, and can be completely removed by surgery.
Localized and locally advanced unresectable
The cancer is found in the liver only and has not spread, but cannot be completely removed by surgery.
Advanced
Cancer has spread throughout the liver or has spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs and bone.
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