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What is Liver Cancer?

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Liver cancer is abnormal, uncontrollable growth of liver cells leading to the formation of a tumour. Chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis increase the risk of developing it and are its main causes. So it is very important that people with diseases of the liver undergo periodic ultrasound scans (every 6 months). This can detect the tumour early, so treatment to cure it or improve the prognosis can be given. You should consult a doctor if you suspect you have a liver problem. 

Liver Cancer disease explained in first person

Professionals and patients explain how you live with the disease
Liver Cancer
In most cases, although of course not all, treatment prevents this disease from becoming a chronic illness.
Liver Cancer explained in first per...
I went to see the doctor at the health centre for a normal check-up and one of the times he told me, 'Neus, we have found something regarding your liver.'

Type of Liver Cancer

There are different types of liver cancer, depending on which type of cell it originates from. The most frequent by far is hepatocellular carcinoma, where hepatocytes (liver cells) are altered. Another prevalent type is cholangiocarcinoma, whose incidence is increasing. In this case, the altered cells are in the bile ducts of the liver.

There are also rare tumours, such as hemangioendothelioma and angiosarcoma, which develop from the cells of the liver blood vessels. These rare types are diagnosed more often in younger people and, more frequently, in women. 

It is important to differentiate between primary liver tumours and those which spread to the liver from other parts of the body, which are called secondary tumours or liver metastases. 

Liver anatomy

The liver is the body’s largest internal organ and is located in the right side of the abdomen. An adult’s liver weighs around 1.5 kg. It is divided into four sections (lobes), wherein the right lobe is much larger than the other three (the left, the quadrate and the caudate lobes), has a soft consistency and a dark brown-reddish colour. 

The liver can continue to function even if a significant part is damaged, provided that enough tissue is maintained. However, serious liver failure can occur if the damage is very extensive, and this deterioration can appear quickly. Fortunately, in some cases, a damaged liver can partially regenerate over time and resume its normal function.

The liver receives blood from the hepatic artery, which supplies oxygenated blood, and the portal vein, which supplies blood loaded with nutrients from the stomach and intestines. Blood exits the liver through various veins called suprahepatic veins. 

The liver is involved in approximately 1,500 bodily functions, but its primary roles are: 

  • To produce and secrete bile, a greenish-yellow liquid that helps digest fat. Bile is stored in the gallbladder and passes through the common bile duct to the duodenum when digesting food. 

  • To synthesise (produce) many essential substances required by the body such as albumin, cholesterol, prothrombin, and so on.  

  • To metabolise carbohydrates to maintain a correct blood glucose level. 

  • To detoxify blood by removing drugs and other substances (alcohol, toxins from the intestines, etc.). 

  • To filter out and eliminate bacteria from the blood. 

How many people are affected by liver cancer?

There are over 865,000 new cases of hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed worldwide each year, which makes it the sixth most predominant type of tumour in the world. In Spain, there are approximately 6,600 new cases reported every year and it is much more typical in men.  

Contemporary studies have shown that the incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas has increased in recent years and it is currently one of the foremost causes of death in patients with liver cirrhosis and represents the main indication for a liver transplant in Spain.  

The most common type by far is hepatocellular carcinoma, followed by cholangiocarcinoma, whose incidence is increasing and already represents about 7% of primary liver tumours in Spain.

Read more Risk factors

Related content

Cancer Cholangiocarcinoma Liver Transplant
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Substantiated information by:

Alejandro Forner González
Jordi Bruix Tudo
María Reig Monzón
Neus Llarch Alfonso

Published: 13 May 2020
Updated: 13 May 2020

The donations that can be done through this webpage are exclusively for the benefit of Hospital Clínic of Barcelona through Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica and not for BBVA Foundation, entity that collaborates with the project of PortalClínic.

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