Question: Is there a link from liver cancer to others?

Anabel Martinez Lyons answered on 30 Apr 2020:

Hi- thanks for your question! In short, yes – liver cancer is very linked to cancers in other parts of the body. Primary liver cancer, which starts only in the liver, is far less common than secondary liver cancer (also called ‘metastatic’ cancer), which started in another part of the body and then spreads to the liver through the blood stream. This makes sense if you think about it because the liver’s main function is to filter our blood for toxins and waste products of our various cellular processes, so it is constantly receiving the ‘rubbish’ from other parts of the body. Primary liver cancer spread is really not very common at all, but has been found in a handful of cases to spread to the lungs, kidneys and lymph nodes. Most liver cancers though are secondary from primary cancers in other organs, some common ones being breast, colon, pancreatic and lung cancers. This website describes secondary liver cancer very well I think, have a look: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/secondary-liver-cancer#what_is_secondary_liver_cancer.