Key Points
                    - After adult primary liver cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the liver or to other parts of the body.     - There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.    - Cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body.    - The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging System may be used to stage adult primary liver cancer.    - The following groups are used to plan treatment.         - BCLC stages 0, A, and B     - BCLC stages C and D
                
                
                    After adult primary liver cancer has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the liver or to other parts of the body.
                    The process used to find out if cancer has spread within the liver or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging process:         -   CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, such as the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.    -   MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).    -   PET scan (positron emission tomography scan): A procedure to find malignant tumor cells in the body. A small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein. The PET scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Malignant tumor cells show up brighter in the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do.
                
                
                    There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
                    Cancer can spread through tissue, the lymph system, and the blood:         - Tissue. The cancer spreads from where it began by growing into nearby areas.     - Lymph system. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the lymph system. The cancer travels through the lymph vessels to other parts of the body.     - Blood. The cancer spreads from where it began by getting into the blood. The cancer travels through the blood vessels to other parts of the body.
                
                
                    Cancer may spread from where it began to other parts of the body.
                    When cancer spreads to another part of the body, it is called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from where they began (the primary tumor) and travel through the lymph system or blood.         - Lymph system. The cancer gets into the lymph system, travels through the lymph vessels, and forms a tumor (metastatic tumor) in another part of the body.    - Blood. The cancer gets into the blood, travels through the blood vessels, and forms a tumor (metastatic tumor) in another part of the body.        The metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if primary liver cancer spreads to the lung, the cancer cells in the lung are actually liver cancer cells. The disease is metastatic liver cancer, not lung cancer.
                
                
                    The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging System may be used to stage adult primary liver cancer.
                    There are several staging systems for liver cancer. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Staging System is widely used and is described below. This system is used to predict the patient's chance of recovery and to plan treatment, based on the following:         - Whether the cancer has spread within the liver or to other parts of the body.    - How well the liver is working.    - The general health and wellness of the patient.    - The symptoms caused by the cancer.        The BCLC staging system has five stages:         - Stage 0: Very early     - Stage A: Early     - Stage B: Intermediate     - Stage C: Advanced     - Stage D: End-stage
                
                
                    The following groups are used to plan treatment.
                    BCLC stages 0, A, and B    Treatment to cure the cancer is given for BCLC stages 0, A, and B.       BCLC stages C and D    Treatment to relieve the symptoms caused by liver cancer and improve the patient's quality of life is given for BCLC stages C and D. Treatments are not likely to cure the cancer.