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A 38-year-old female asked:
What does a radiologist mean by "benign or malignant neoplasm" of the liver? hemangiomas have been ruled out.
4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Charles Cattanoanswered
Gastroenterology 41 years experience
Benign vs malignant: Benign tumors /neoplasms of the liver are not cancerous; malignant tumors are. See prior answer regarding differential for benign ones. Malignant tumors include: fibrolamellar carcinoma, hepatoblastoma, cholangiocarcinoma, cystadenocarcinoma, angiosarcoma, undifferentiated sarcomas, epitheliod endothelioma. Metastatic liver tumors originate elsewhere (frequently from stomach, breast, lung, colon).
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5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. D A Steve Griswoldanswered
Diagnostic Radiology 32 years experience
A solid liver mass: If so stated, this is not a cyst. There are benign, non-spreading (not malignant) masses such as adenomas or focal nodular hyperplasia. Liver cancer or cancer from other area that is metastatic to the liver remain possibilities not yet exlcuded.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Ernest Rudmananswered
Diagnostic Radiology 17 years experience
We are not sure: Sometimes imaging can be 100% accurate in diagnosing a liver lesion simply based on its appearance. However, this is not always the case. Some lesions have a non-specific appearance and may need further work up to diagnose. That work up may include more imaging, biopsy, or just continued surveillance (if we think the lesion is most likely benign).
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Michael Gaboranswered
Diagnostic Radiology 35 years experience
Sometimes: liver lesions have a characteristic benign appearance, sometimes a characteristic malignant appearance. Other times the imaging features may overlap between the two, and either one is a possibility. Usually a biopsy will be necessary to make the determination.
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2.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 33-year-old member asked:
What does malignant neoplasm of liver mean? Very bad news?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
A Verified Doctoranswered
Surgical Oncology 20 years experience
This means cancer: A malignant neoplasm of the liver means cancer. What it doesn't tell you is if it originates from the liver, or whether it started in another organ and spread to the liver. This makes a huge difference in how the liver tumor is treated. Generally cancer that has spread to other organs is a difficult situation, but there are some examples where we have excellent therapies for these cancers.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated May 8, 2019
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