Library · Neoplasm
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Make it clearer
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that starts in hepatocytes, the cells that make up most of the liver. In adults it's the most common of the cancers that begin in the liver itself, and that's where the word people tend to get tangled up in comes in: primary. Primary means the disease started in that organ, not that it came from somewhere else. A tumor that formed elsewhere and traveled to the liver is a metastasis, and that's not the same thing, even if the lump ends up showing in the same spot: it's the difference between someone born in the house and someone who showed up as a guest.
In brief
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that starts in hepatocytes, the most abundant cells in the liver.
It is the most common primary liver cancer in adults. Primary means it starts there; it is not the same as a metastasis that has spread to the liver from another organ.
The risk rises with cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B or C, and fatty liver disease with inflammation.
Sources (2)
- National Cancer InstituteDefinition of HCC
- National Cancer InstituteWhat Is Liver Cancer?Published
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated