Secondary Liver Cancer.

The liver is one of the most common sites of metastatic cancer; it is estimated that 50 to 60 percent of all cancers may eventually spread to the liver. Cancers of the stomach, pancreas, esophagus, lung, colon, and breast and melanoma almost always spread to the liver if they are not cured in their earlier, localized stages.

The probability that cancer has metastasized to the liver can be determined by physical examination and laboratory tests. The presence of an enlarged, hard liver in a patient who has cancer elsewhere in the body, particularly a type that commonly spreads to the liver, is a good indication of metastasis.

Secondary Liver Cancer Treatment.

The treatment and prognosis for patients with metastatic liver cancer depend upon the type of primary cancer and degree of spread to other parts of the body. Some cancers, particularly those of the colon and rectum, as well as carcinoid or other endocrine cancers, often spread to the liver. In such instances surgery may be the best treatment, especially if there is a single liver mass. Up to 25 percent of patients who fall into this category, and are able to undergo surgical removal of the metastatic tumor, are cured.

If there are multiple tumors in the liver, but the cancer does not appear to have metastasized to other parts of the body, regional chemotherapy administered directly into the liver's circulation may be used. A typical regimen might involve giving the anticancer drugs for three to six weeks. By that time a type of drug-induced hepatitis may occur, necessitating that the drugs be stopped for a period, and then resumed when the side effects abate. Thirty to 50 percent of patients treated in this manner have been reported to show improvement. However, substantial damage to the liver and bile ducts can occur with the treatment.

SUMMING UP
Primary liver cancer is relatively rare in the United States, but quite common in developing countries of Africa and Asia. It is a difficult cancer to treat, with very low rate of survival. However, since it is often associated with cirrhosis resulting from preventable causes, primarily alcohol abuse and viral hepatitis, the possibility of prevention is good.
Metastatic liver cancer is quite common and should be suspected when a hard mass or other symptoms appear in a person with cancer elsewhere in the body.