To begin, the liver is located behind the ribs on the right side of the body. Its function is to remove harmful substances from the blood, create enzymes and bile that help digest food, and convert food into substances needed for life and growth.
Cancer occurs within cells, the fundamental units that make up the tissues in each organ of the body. Normally, cells grow and multiply as they are needed in order to replace old or damaged cells. Sometimes, the process goes wrong and cells divide uncontrollably, or cells that should die, don’t. This buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a tumor, growth, or nodule.
Growths can be categorized as benign (localized, usually harmless, not cancerous) or malignant (spreadable and invasive, potentially harmful, cancerous). Liver cells are also called hepatocytes. The Greek word, “hepar” is the root identifying the liver; therefore, liver cancers are also called hepatocellular carcinoma or malignant hepatoma. Liver cancer cells can break away from the original tumor and spread through blood vessels, or they can be found in lymph nodes. The cancer cells may even bind to other tissues in the body to form new tumors that may damage those tissues.
