for Veterans and the Public
What is liver cancer? - Liver Cancer for Patients
Like all other body organs, your liver can get cancer. Liver cancer is a disease in which some of the cells in your liver begin to reproduce faster than they should. This can lead to liver masses called tumors. The medical term for the most common cancer that begins in the liver is hepatocellular carcinoma (pronounced "HEP-a-toe-SEL-yoo-ler KAR-sih-NOH-muh"), or HCC for short. Some people also call it "hepatoma." We will refer to HCC as "liver cancer" here.