Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
A liver cancer glossary: the words on your report, in plain language | CION Cancer Clinics
This glossary explains the words used about cancer that starts in the liver, from HCC and cirrhosis to AFP, LI-RADS, BCLC and TACE. First check the report: most cancer found in the liver began somewhere else and spread there, which is a different illness. Each word below has its plain meaning beside it, grouped the way you will meet it. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists explain liver cancer in plain words and plan care around you and your family.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- Which liver cancer is this glossary about?
- What do the names of the tumour mean?
- What do cirrhosis, ascites and bilirubin mean?
- What do AFP, LI-RADS and washout mean on my report?
- What do BCLC, Child-Pugh and TACE mean?
- Which words do families most often misunderstand?
- What this glossary cannot tell you
- Common questions about liver cancer words
Start here
Which liver cancer is this glossary about?
This glossary explains the words used about cancer that starts in the liver, called primary liver cancer. Before you read on, check one thing on the report: does it say the cancer began in the liver, or that it spread there from somewhere else?
Two different illnesses share one name
Most people told they have "cancer in the liver" have cancer that started in another organ, such as the bowel, breast, stomach or pancreas, and travelled to the liver. Reports call this secondary liver cancer, or liver metastases. It is treated as the cancer it started as, not as a liver cancer. If that is your situation, read what secondary liver cancer means first. Bowel cancer that has spread to the liver has its own pages under colon cancer spread to the liver.
How to use the rest of this page
The words are grouped the way you meet them: on the diagnosis report, in the liver function tests, on the scan, and in the treatment discussion. Each one has a plain meaning beside it. Keep this page open while you read your report, and write down any word that is not here to ask your doctor.
On the diagnosis report
What do the names of the tumour mean?
These are the words that say what kind of growth the doctors think they have found.
HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma)
Cancer that starts in the main working cells of the liver. It is the commonest primary liver cancer, and it usually grows in a liver already scarred by hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol or fatty liver.
Cholangiocarcinoma
Cancer of the small tubes that carry bile through the liver. It behaves differently from HCC and is usually confirmed with a biopsy. Its DNA should be tested, because some of these tumours have targeted options.
Metastases, or secondaries
Cancer that started in another organ and spread to the liver. The treatment follows the original cancer.
Lesion, nodule, mass, SOL
Neutral words for "something is there". A space-occupying lesion (SOL) is simply a spot that takes up room in the liver. None of these words means cancer on its own.
Usually harmless, but still followed up
- Haemangioma: a tangle of blood vessels
- Focal nodular hyperplasia: a lump of normal liver cells
- Simple cyst: a fluid-filled bubble
- Adenoma: a non-cancerous growth that sometimes needs watching
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistAbout the liver itself
What do cirrhosis, ascites and bilirubin mean?
- Fibrosis
- Scarring inside the liver. Mild fibrosis can improve if the cause is treated.
- Cirrhosis
- Heavy, long-standing scarring that makes the liver hard and lumpy. It is the soil in which most HCC grows.
- Portal vein and portal hypertension
- The portal vein brings blood from the gut to the liver. When a scarred liver resists that flow, pressure builds up behind it.
- Varices
- Swollen veins in the food pipe or stomach caused by that pressure. They can bleed.
- Ascites
- Fluid collecting in the belly, which makes it swell.
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Confusion or drowsiness caused by toxins a struggling liver cannot clear.
- Bilirubin, albumin and INR
- Three blood results that show how well the liver is working. High bilirubin causes jaundice; low albumin means the liver is making less protein; a high INR means blood clots more slowly.
On the scan and blood test
What do AFP, LI-RADS and washout mean on my report?
Liver cancer is one of the few cancers that can sometimes be diagnosed from the scan pattern alone, so these words carry weight.
AFP (alpha-fetoprotein)
A protein measured in a blood test. It is often raised in HCC, but it can also rise with hepatitis and pregnancy, and it can be normal even when cancer is present. One reading means little; the trend matters. See what AFP is.
Triple-phase CT or MRI
A scan taken at several moments after a contrast dye is injected, to watch how blood flows into and out of a spot. CION arranges these through diagnostic partners.
Arterial enhancement and washout
Enhancement means the spot lights up brightly early, as dye arrives. Washout means it fades faster than the liver around it. Together, in a liver at risk, they are the classic pattern of HCC.
LI-RADS
A scoring system radiologists use for spots in a liver at risk. LR-1 is definitely harmless and LR-5 is definitely HCC; the middle grades need repeat scans or a biopsy. Read LI-RADS explained for each grade.
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In the treatment discussion
What do BCLC, Child-Pugh and TACE mean?
- Child-Pugh and MELD
- Scores built from blood tests and examination that measure how much work the liver can still do. Child-Pugh A is the healthiest group, C the most damaged.
- BCLC stage
- The staging system most used for HCC. It combines the tumour, the liver function and how well you are, rather than the tumour alone.
- Milan criteria
- A rule for who may be suited to a liver transplant, based on the number and size of tumours.
- Resection
- An operation to remove the part of the liver holding the tumour.
- Ablation (RFA)
- Destroying a small tumour with heat through a needle.
- TACE and TARE
- Treatments through a thin tube in the artery: TACE delivers chemotherapy and blocks the blood supply; TARE delivers tiny radioactive beads.
- Systemic therapy
- Immunotherapy, targeted therapy or chemotherapy that travels through the whole body.
Commonly misread
Which words do families most often misunderstand?
"The report says SOL, so it must be cancer."
SOL only means a spot takes up space. Many are haemangiomas or cysts. The next scan, and sometimes a biopsy, decides. Do not skip that scan because the word sounded harmless or because it sounded frightening.
"Cirrhosis means he must have been drinking."
Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and fatty liver cause a large share of cirrhosis in India. A risk factor is not a fault, and blame makes people hide things from their doctor.
"A normal AFP means there is no cancer."
Many liver cancers do not raise AFP. That is why surveillance pairs the blood test with an ultrasound.
"Hepatitis B carrier means healthy, nothing to do."
A carrier can feel well and still need regular liver checks, and sometimes antiviral tablets. Hepatitis B is controlled, not removed. Household members should be tested and vaccinated.
Being straight with you
What this glossary cannot tell you
A glossary gives you the meaning of a word. It cannot tell you what that word means for the person whose report you are holding. The same phrase, such as "arterial enhancement", reads very differently in a healthy liver than in a cirrhotic one, and only the radiologist and the treating team see the whole picture.
It cannot tell you whether a spot is cancer
No page can. That depends on the scan images, the blood tests, the liver's history and sometimes a biopsy. If you have been asked to repeat a scan, keep that appointment even if the report sounded reassuring.
Who this page does not apply to
If the cancer started elsewhere and spread to the liver, most of the staging and treatment words here do not apply in the same way. Children with a liver tumour usually have a different disease; see hepatoblastoma in children.
Bring the report to a CION consultation and the team will go through it with you, line by line.Questions we are asked
Common questions about liver cancer words
Is hepatoma the same as HCC?
Yes. Hepatoma is an older name you may still see on reports from some hospitals. It means hepatocellular carcinoma, the commonest cancer that starts in the liver itself. It is not the same as a haemangioma, which is a harmless tangle of blood vessels.
What does "liver mets" on a report mean?
It is short for liver metastases: cancer that started somewhere else and has spread to the liver. The report or the doctor should say where it started, because that decides the treatment. If it does not, ask, or read why doctors look for a primary elsewhere.
Does "hypoechoic lesion" mean cancer?
No. Hypoechoic only means the spot looks darker than the liver around it on ultrasound. Cysts, harmless growths and cancers can all look this way. It usually leads to a contrast CT or MRI to see the spot more clearly.
What is decompensated cirrhosis?
It means the scarred liver can no longer cope quietly, and problems such as ascites, jaundice, bleeding varices or confusion have appeared. It changes which cancer treatments are safe, because many of them need a liver with some reserve.
What is portal vein thrombosis or tumour thrombus?
Thrombosis is a clot in the portal vein. A tumour thrombus is cancer growing into the vein. They look similar on some scans and mean very different things, so the radiologist and tumour board look at them carefully before planning treatment.
Why does my report not give a stage number like 1 to 4?
Liver cancer teams usually use the BCLC system, which gives a letter from 0 to D. It combines the tumour, the liver function and how well you are, because a weak liver limits treatment as much as the tumour does. Your doctor can explain both systems.
What does "curative intent" mean?
It means the treatment is aimed at removing or destroying all the cancer that can be seen, rather than controlling it. It is a goal, not a promise. Surgery, ablation and transplant can be given with curative intent when the cancer is small and the liver is strong enough.
Is there a version of this glossary in Telugu?
Yes. The liver cancer glossary in Telugu puts the key words in Telugu script beside their English meaning, so the whole family can follow the same report. You can also ask for the consultation to be explained in Telugu.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — What Is Liver Cancer?
- Cancer Research UK — Secondary liver cancer
- Cancer Research UK — Stages of liver cancer
- MedlinePlus — Alpha Fetoprotein (AFP) Tumor Marker Test
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
The two very different things called liver cancerCheck which illness you are reading about firstWhat a liver cancer radiology report means line by lineThe words, applied to a real reportChild-Pugh A, B and C explainedThe liver score that decides treatmentA liver cancer glossary in TeluguThe same words in Telugu script for the family
Talk to us
Holding a report full of words you do not recognise?
Bring the scan and blood reports to a CION consultation and the team will explain each line and what it means for the next step. One helpline serves every CION centre.