Liver metastases are cancerous tumors that have spread to the liver from somewhere else in the body.
See also: Hepatocellular carcinoma
Almost any cancer can spread to the liver. Cancers that may spread to the liver include:
The risk of cancer spreading to the liver depends on the site of the original cancer. A liver metastasis may be present when the original (primary) cancer is diagnosed, or it may occur months or years after the primary tumor is removed.
In some cases, there are no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they may include:
Tests that may be done to diagnose liver metastases include:
Treatment depends on:
When the cancer has spread to the liver and other organs, whole-body (systemic) chemotherapy is usually used. The type of chemotherapy is determined by theoriginal type of cancer.
When the spread is limited to the liver, body-wide chemotherapy may still be used. However, other treatment methods may work. When the tumor is only in one or a few areas of the liver, the cancer may be removed with surgery.
The use of radiofrequency waves or injection of toxic substances may also be used to kill tumors. When larger areas of the liver are involved, treatment may involve giving chemotherapy directly into the liver, or a procedure called embolization, which blocks blood flow to parts of the liver to "starve" the tumor cells.
How well you do depends on the location of the original cancer and how much it has spread to the liver or anywhere else. Rarely, surgery to remove the liver tumors may lead to a cure. This is usually only possible in patients with certain tumor types (for example, colorectal cancer), and when there are a limited number of tumors in the liver.
In most cases, cancer that has spread to the liver is not curable. Patients with spread of cancer to the liver usually die of their disease. However, treatments may help shrink tumors, improve life expectancy, and relieve symptoms.
Complications are generally the result of tumors spreading to a large area of the liver.
They can include:
Call your health care provider if you have cancer and suspect that it has spread to the liver. Anyone who has had a type of cancer that can spread to the liver should be aware of the signs and symptoms listed above, and call a physician if any of these develop.
Early detection of some types of cancer may prevent the spread of these cancers to the liver.
Metastases to the liver; Metastatic liver cancer; Liver cancer - metastatic
Lewis RL. Liver and biliary tract tumors. In Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 202.
Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2012, A.D.A.M., Inc. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions.