About secondary liver cancer

What is secondary cancer?

Cancer in the liver can be either a primary or secondary cancer. The two types of cancer are different. This section is only about secondary liver cancer.

Primary liver cancer

Cancer that starts in the liver is called primary liver cancer. The most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 

Find out more about primary liver cancer.

Secondary liver cancer

Cancer cells from a primary cancer in another part of the body can spread from there to the liver via the bloodstream or lymph vessels. This is called secondary liver cancer, and it is much more common than primary liver cancer in Australia. Secondary cancers keep the name of the original cancer (for example, secondary liver cancer that started in the lung is called metastatic lung cancer). Because the cancer has spread, it is considered advanced cancer. 

Which cancers spread to the liver?

Bowel cancer is the most common cancer that spreads to the liver. This is because the blood supply from the bowel is connected to the liver through a major vein called the portal vein. Other cancers that can spread to the liver include: breast, kidney, lung, melanoma, oesophageal, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and stomach.

Sometimes, it’s not possible to find where the cancer started; this is called cancer of unknown primary (CUP).

If you have secondary liver cancer, you may find it useful to read our information on primary cancer types or CUP.

The liver

The largest organ inside the body, the liver is about the size of a football. It is part of the digestive system, working with the gall bladder and pancreas to help break down food and turn it into energy.

The liver has many important jobs, including:

• storing sugars and fats, so they can be used for energy
• producing bile which helps dissolve fat so it can be easily digested
• making proteins to help blood clot and to balance fluid in the body
• breaking down harmful substances, such as  drugs and alcohol.

The liver is found on the right side of the abdomen (belly) sitting just above the stomach and under the rib cage. The two main sections of the liver are the right and left lobes.

Blood flows into the liver from the hepatic artery and the portal vein. Blood in the hepatic artery comes from the heart and carries oxygen. Blood in the portal vein comes from the digestive organs and carries nutrients and substances (e.g. medicines) to the liver.

Unlike other internal organs, a healthy liver may be able to repair itself if it is injured or part of it is surgically removed during cancer treatment.

The digestive system

What are the symptoms?

If the tumours are small, secondary liver cancer may have no symptoms. As the cancer grows or spreads, a range of symptoms may occur.

These may include:

• weakness and tiredness (fatigue)
• pain in the upper right side of the abdomen  or right shoulder blade
• severe pain in the abdomen
• appetite loss and feeling sick (nausea)
• unexplained weight loss
• yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• dark urine (wee) and pale faeces (poo)
• itchy skin
• a swollen abdomen (ascites)
• fever.