A member asked:

What does a radiologist mean by "benign or malignant neoplasm" of the liver? hemangiomas have been ruled out.

7 doctors weighed in across 4 answers

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).

Answered 10/26/2012

5.5k views

Thank

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.

Answered 5/8/2019

5.5k views

Thank

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).

Answered 6/19/2015

5.5k views

Thank
Dr. Michael Gabor answered

Specializes in Diagnostic Radiology

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.

Answered 4/28/2015

2.9k views

Thank

Related Questions

A member asked:

Does a hepatic hemangiomas mean I will have chronic liver problems?

A doctor has provided 1 answer

A member asked:

Can a benign liver hemangioma become cancerous after several years?

A doctor has provided 1 answer