Left untreated, most cancers will spread and become life-threatening. The cancer spreads through the liver and may get into the blood stream or the lymphatic system. The cells can then be carried and spread to other parts of the body.

When cancer cells from a tumour settle in other parts of the body and start growing there, they are called secondary cancers (metastases). The most common sites for primary cancer to spread to are the other organs in the abdominal (belly) cavity.

The most common sites for more distant secondary cancers are the lungs and brain.

Related links
What is the lymphatic system?