The liver is the largest solid organ within the human body and its function is to clean toxins from the blood, generate digestive enzymes and store energy. Unfortunately, more than 22,000 Americans will be diagnosed with liver cancer in 2010, according to the National Cancer Institute, or NCI. The advanced stages of liver cancer occur when cancer cells spread throughout the liver or body.
Stage 3A
The most treatable forms of liver cancer are stage 1 and stage 2 because the cancer cells have not spread throughout the liver or to other tissues or organs. Stage 3 liver cancer is divided into three subgroups: stages 3A, 3B and 3C. Patients with stage 3A liver cancer have at least two liver tumors that are larger than 5 centimeters in diameter, explain medical experts with the NCI. Alternatively, patients with stage 3A advanced liver cancer may have just one liver tumor that has spread to the major blood vessels near the liver.
Stage 3B
Stage 3B liver cancer is an advanced form of disease in which a patient develops at least one liver tumor that has spread to a nearby organ or has pervaded the lining of the abdominal cavity, called the peritoneal cavity, NCI health professionals explain. During this advanced stage of liver cancer, cancer cells have not affected the lymph nodes or lymphatic system.
Stage 3C
Stage 3C liver cancer is diagnosed when liver cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes, according to the NCI. The lymph nodes are a part of the lymphatic system and function to filter waste and toxins out of the blood. When cancerous cells enter the lymph nodes, they can easily spread to other regions of the body. During stage 3C liver cancer, however, cancer cells have not yet spread to other organs in the body.
Stage 4A
Stage 4A liver cancer occurs when numerous tumors develop within the liver and spread to nearby organs, according to the American Cancer Society, or ACS. Advanced liver cancer tumors may also develop within the blood vessels of the liver and lymph nodes.
Stage 4B
Stage 4B is the final and most advanced stage of liver cancer. Patients with stage 4B liver cancer develop cancerous cells throughout the body, ACS medical experts say. Cancer cells from the liver can spread through the blood and may affect a patient's bones or lungs. Cancerous tumors formed during this stage of disease can be any size. This stage is the most challenging form of the disease to effectively treat.
